Chunks of gelatin in meatballs

I prepped some meatballs tonight that I will cook tomorrow. They use bloomed gelatin as a binder. I bloomed 2tsp gelatin in 1/4 cup water. When I went to mix the meat, gelatin and spices, I had a very hard time getting the gelatin to break up and ended up with quite a few small chunks of gelatin in the mixture. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to better break up gelatin. I'm not going to remake this batch but I'm wondering if there is a better way to do it next time.

ktr
  • Posted by: ktr
  • September 19, 2017
  • 6486 views
  • 11 Comments

11 Comments

Windischgirl
Windischgirl September 21, 2017
I would mince it.
Keep in mind that when it cooks, the gelatin will soften and no one will know that it's in there; they'll just think that it's the gelatin that naturally occurs in meats.
 
SMSF
SMSF September 20, 2017
Maybe try loosening up the bloomed gelatin a bit with a whisk? Just enough to break it up/smooth it while still maintaining the body/texture of the gelatin.
 
SMSF
SMSF September 20, 2017
...that is, before adding it to the meatball mixture : )
 
ktr
ktr September 20, 2017
I'll give that a try next time. I assumed I'd be able to break the gelatin up enough with my hands as I was mixing it. That or I need to be more aggressive in my mixing!
 
HalfPint
HalfPint September 20, 2017
Stupid question, but did you mix the gelatin into the water when blooming? I sprinkle the powdered gelatin into the water and give a good stir, so that I don't have any lumps of dry gelatin. I've added bloomed gelatin to my meatloaf and meatballs before. Haven't had any problems breaking it up. I also use my hand and really work the gelatin (& other ingredients like spices, onions, etc) into the meat.
 
ktr
ktr September 20, 2017
I didn't really stir it but I swirled the water around a bit so there were no dry areas of gelatin. It came out of the bowl in one piece.
 
HalfPint
HalfPint September 20, 2017
Did you use hot/warm water or cold water to bloom? Should be cold water or gelatin will dissolve and then set in 1 piece.
 
ktr
ktr September 21, 2017
I think I used warm water. That may have been the issue. Thanks!
 
Ted
Ted September 19, 2017
I think Kenji at Serious Eats adds gelatin to his meatloaf, so you might check over there and see how he does it.
 
ktr
ktr September 20, 2017
Thank you, I will check that out to see if he has any tricks.
 
Greenstuff
Greenstuff September 20, 2017
Kanji minces the gelatin before adding and then uses a stand mixer to blend all his ingredients.
 
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