Meatballs, The New Way

The role of a panade is played by bulgur wheat (or another cooked whole grain) in this recipe, bringing moisture and adding nuttiness and texture that bread crumbs wouldn't. It's a neat trick and we were happy enough with the meatballs, finished in tomato sauce and served as subs.

I did find them underspiced; I'd be tempted to look at a kibbeh or kofta recipe, or at minimum a nice hit of oregano. I'm not entirely clear what the spinach is bringing to the table; I found it distracting and my family didn't notice it at all.

The recipe says it makes 16, which would be fine, but I found 12 to be a more pleasant target. Although if I were going to do it again, I'd be tempted to make a double-batch and freeze half.