From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
A small ball made of a mixture of seasoned minced poultry or meat and a filler, such as bread crumbs, along with an ingredient, such as beaten egg or sour cream, that helps to hold it together. Meatballs may be hand-formed or shaped with a meat baller. Almost every cuisine has its own version. A short sampling includes the Danish frikadeller, the German Klopse, the Greek keftedes and the Spanish albóndiga. Meatballs may be cooked on a stovetop or in the oven, then eaten unadorned or added to soups, stews and pasta dishes. See also hamburger, kofta.
