Baked meatballs simmered in a cranberry and chili sauce. Ten servings, and they hold well in a slow cooker.

Ground beef needs 160F

The recipe bakes them twenty to twenty five minutes at 350F, turning once, which gets them there for meatballs of this size.

The temperature is not stated in the source and it is worth knowing. Grinding distributes surface bacteria through the meat, so the whole meatball needs to reach 160F rather than just the outside.

The hour of simmering afterwards puts them comfortably past, so the bake is about texture as much as safety.

Bake first, then simmer

Rather than poaching raw meatballs in the sauce.

this …

Baking browns the outside, and that browning is flavour the sauce cannot supply. It also firms the meatballs so they hold their shape through an hour of simmering.

Raw meatballs dropped into sauce fall apart and the sauce turns cloudy with rendered fat.

The full hour matters

Simmering before serving, which the recipe specifies.

That hour is what takes this from meatballs with sauce poured over to meatballs that have absorbed the sauce. The jellied cranberry breaks down completely and the whole thing thickens.

Low heat throughout. A hard simmer breaks the meatballs up.

Small meatballs, deliberately

Formed small, which suits a party.

These are eaten with a cocktail stick standing up, so they need to be one or two bites. Around an inch across gives roughly thirty from a pound.

Consistent size matters more than the exact dimension, since uneven meatballs cook at different rates in a twenty minute bake.

Water in the meatball mixture

Two tablespoons, which looks odd alongside an egg and breadcrumbs.

Lean ground beef has little fat to keep it moist through baking and then an hour of simmering. The water hydrates the breadcrumbs, which then hold that moisture inside the meatball.

It is the same principle as a panade, and skipping it gives noticeably drier results.

Jellied cranberry, not whole berry

An eight ounce can.

Jellied sauce melts smoothly into a glossy sauce. Whole berry sauce keeps its fruit pieces, which gives a chunkier result that some people prefer but which does not coat the meatballs as evenly.

Either works. Jellied is what the recipe assumes.

Chili sauce is not hot sauce

Three quarters of a cup, and this is a common confusion.

The chili sauce meant here is a thick, sweet, tomato-based condiment, closer to ketchup with spices than to anything fiery. It sits near the ketchup in most supermarkets.

Substituting a hot sauce would make this inedible. If you cannot find it, ketchup with a pinch of chilli powder and a splash of vinegar approximates it.

Minced onion, not chopped

Three tablespoons.

Pieces of onion in a small meatball create weak points where it breaks apart, and they stay crunchy through baking since twenty minutes is not long enough to soften them.

Minced fine, the onion disappears into the mixture and contributes flavour without texture.

Grating it on the coarse side of a box grater is faster than mincing by hand and gives an even finer result.

Slow cooker for a party

Which the source recommends and which is the practical way to serve these.

Simmer them through on the hob first, then transfer to a slow cooker on low or warm. They hold for hours without drying out and guests can help themselves.

At 85mg of sodium per serving these are unusually low for a party food, since there is no added salt beyond what the sauces carry.

Making them ahead

The meatballs bake and freeze well raw or cooked. From cooked and frozen, add them straight to the simmering sauce and give them an extra fifteen minutes.

Using turkey

Ground turkey substitutes and needs 165F rather than 160F. It is leaner still, so the water in the mixture matters even more.