Alton Brown uses recycling bin item to make meatballs 'healthy and crispy'

The unexpected item is in fact your cardboard egg carton. Brown advises placing meatballs into an egg carton and cooking them in the oven, rather than frying or boiling on the hob. Although Brown originally shared his quirky meatball technique in a now-removed selfie on his Instagram account back in 2017, Delish had preserved all the intricate details meaning you can try it for yourself.

The concept is that the egg carton absorbs any excess fat released during cooking, ensuring your meatballs retain their spherical form instead of flattening in a frying pan. Needless to say, this should only be attempted with cardboard cartons to avoid a melting mishap.

You can use any meatball recipe and add any herbs you have to hand like oregano and coriander instead of Brown's suggested basil and parsley.

Preheat your oven to 200C or whatever your recipe instructions call for and bake for 20 minutes. The next important step is to flip all of the meatballs halfway through the cooking time so they are cooked and crispy all over..

If you're thinking this means the meatballs would be dry, you'd be mistaken. The inside remains juicy while the outside boasted a pleasingly crisp texture.

Here are instructions for a classic meatball recipe:

Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley and seasoning. Slowly add the milk to bind the dry ingredients together and form a soft, compact mixture.

Once the texture is right, divide the blended raw ingredients into small balls of equal sizes. This recipe should make around 36.

Prepare a large frying pan by heating it with a drizzle of olive oil before adding the meatballs. Brown on all sides turning often, allowing them to cook for five to six minutes.

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