In most chapters in this book, the centerpiece of the meatballs recipe is a single meat. It can be a red meat, a white meat, poultry, or even fish, but it’s a singular flavor. But that’s not the case with the following recipes. Here they are all made from a combination of meats, which adds a degree of complexity to the recipes and a depth of flavor to the resulting dishes.

Making meatballs from a combination of meats is nothing new; that’s why as I’ve mentioned, in many supermarkets you’ll find a pre-ground mixture of pork, beef, and veal called “meatloaf mix.” In the case of these recipes, however, it should be called “meatball mix.” Some of the great meatball recipes, like the Italian-American meatball and the traditional Swedish meatball, are made with a mix of meats.

Mixing beef and pork is a common combination; the beef adds richness while the pork is more subtle and lends its delicacy to the mixture. Most of these recipes are drawn from European cuisines, but you’ll find some Latin American and American ones as well.