Meatballs: Bake or cook in sauce?

Rarely make them just bc I prefer meat sauce, but usually I’ll Bake or skillet to get them brown, then simmer in sauce.

Brown them in a skillet or sauté pan, then let them finish cooking in the sauce.

I used to brown then simmer in sauce.....but I’ve switched to a panade style meatball enriched with seasoned bread crumbs or panko, which makes for a lighter texture. I quit browning and just cook in sauce.....excellent results,

I dust them in flour and fry them in just enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet then put them in my red sauce. Don't cook them all the way through.

Brown in olive oil. Best aroma in the world.

I bake them in the oven and then transfer into sauce to simmer.

Best is to brown in skillet.
Second best is to brown in broiler.
Anything else meh.

Point is to brown only and let them finish cooking as they simmer in sauce.

Remember the raw mixture should be moist enough that you can't form meatballs without wetting your hands first. Otherwise you're doing it wrong.

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Bake or cook in sauce?

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both

Last week we smoked some on the pellet grill and they were amazing.

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panade style meatball enriched with seasoned bread crumbs or panko, which makes for a lighter texture.

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I recently purchased a meat grinder and have been playing with different blends but cooking them more like I would a burger with no bread crumbs/parm/egg. The flavor was great but they really lacked that light texture. Yesterday I went with some fresh ground boston butt and beef rib and added the egg/bread crumbs/grated parm and they came out awesome with that light texture I have been missing.