Name: Meat Balls in Vodka
Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds hamburger,; 2 eggs, slightly beaten,; 2 cups cracker crumbs,; 1/2 pounds ground lean pork,; 1 cup milk,; 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind,; 1/4 teaspoon nutmet,; 1 teaspoon salt,; 1/4 teaspoon pepper,

Why it works: Lemon and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,047 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓

Meat Balls in Vodka

Timeabout 15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the meatballs

Mix the hamburger, ground pork, eggs, cracker crumbs, milk, lemon rind, nutmeg, salt, and pepper well. Let stand for 1 hour, then form into small balls.
Brown the meatballs in a skillet in the drippings along with 3 cups thinly sliced onions for about 15 minutes.
Remove the meatballs from the pan.

Make the sauce

To the drippings, add 1 cup sour cream and thicken with 2 tablespoons flour and 1 can condensed beef bouillon.
Cook the sauce until blended.
Add the onions and meatballs back to the sauce.
Blend in 1/2 cup dry vermouth and 2 ounces vodka.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

803Calories

69 gProtein

44 gFat

29 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Beef	100g cooked	250
Pork	100g cooked	242
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Cracker	5 saltine crackers (15g)	66
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together27,047 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Pork + milktop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,386 recipes

Shared aroma: 4-heptenal (creamy, biscuit).
Milk + lemontop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together19,053 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Pork + peppertop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together22,121 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Egg + milktop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together88,785 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Hamburger: Forms the bulk of the meatballs and gives them a rich, meaty texture.
Eggs: Bind the mixture so the meatballs hold their shape while cooking.
Cracker crumbs: Absorb the milk and keep the meatballs tender and moist rather than dense.
Ground lean pork: Adds moisture and mild flavor to the meat mixture.
Sour cream (in the method): Adds tang and body, giving the sauce a creamy, smooth texture.
Flour (in the method): Thickens the drippings into a sauce that clings to the meatballs.

The step that matters

Browning the meatballs in the drippings. Browning creates flavorful Maillard reactions on the surface. Crowding the skillet or stirring too early prevents good browning and leaves the meatballs pale and steamed.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Meat Balls in Vodka