Step away from the Chef Boyardee can and stop humming “On Top of Spaghetti” already. The meatball — the comfort food classic common to cuisines as disparate as Afghani (lamb kofte kebabs) and Andalusian (saffron albondigas) — has rolled back into style at restaurants and at parties.

And while making your own meaty orbs takes time, the process isn’t difficult, and it yields a crowd-pleasing party food. “Everyone loves a good meatball,” says Casa Nonna executive chef Amy Brandwein (1250 Connecticut Ave. NW; 202-629-2505). “They’re simple but also very complicated.”

To begin, you’ll need to start pressing the flesh, so to speak. Basically, a meatball involves finely ground meat, which boasts a consistency that mixes well with spices and forms easily into rounds.

The type of meat you choose can be based on what you like or the type of cuisine: Pork is nice in Asian meatballs; lamb lends a pungent earthiness to Mediterranean versions; and a combination of beef, veal and pork works well for Italian-style polpette.

Finish reading this article on the Express website now.

Photo courtesy of jshj on Flickr.