Iris Tuscan Meatballs Polpettine Alla Iris Recipes

POLPETTONE ALLA TOSCANO, OR EASY ITALIAN MEATBALLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for five minutes. Strains and squeeze to remove excess milk, then loosen crumbed and spread over a plate.
• In a large bowl, mix together with the beef, prosciutto, salt, egg, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Mix well with your hands.
• Moisten your hands with a little water and form the meat into 8 meatballs of the same size. Be sure to pack them well and not leave any openings, otherwise the meatballs will fall apart while cooking. Place the flour into a small bowl and roll the meatballs lightly in the flour until evenly coated.
• In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Gently brown meatballs all over, allowing a nice, savory crust to form. Turn the heat to low.
• To the pan add the carrot and onion. Cook gently just until the vegetables start to brown, then pour in white wine and tomato sauce. Allow to cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, nudging occasionally with a spatula to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Gently turn meatballs over, cover the pan, and finish cooking until they are cooked through, about 7 more minutes, again nudging to prevent sticking. If you like, you can remove the meatballs from the pan and continue cooking the sauce, uncovered, until it thickens.
• Allow meatballs to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve meatballs hot, covered with tomato sauce and garnished with parmesan cheese. Also, feel free to serve these bad boys on a sandwich with a little provolone, which is most definitely Italian!

POLPETTONE ALLA TOSCANO, OR TUSCAN MEATBALLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for five minutes. Strains and squeeze to remove excess milk, then loosen crumbed and spread over a plate.
• In a large bowl, mix together with the beef, prosciutto, egg, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Mix well with your hands.
• Moisten your hands with a little water and form the meat into 8 meatballs of the same size. Be sure to pack them well and not leave any openings, otherwise the meatballs will fall apart while cooking. Place the flour into a small bowl and roll the meatballs lightly in the flour until evenly coated.
• In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Gently brown meatballs all over, allowing a nice, savory crust to form. Turn the heat to low.
• To the pan add the carrot and onion. Cook gently just until the vegetables start to brown, then pour in white wine and tomato sauce. Allow to cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, nudging occasionally with a spatula to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Gently turn meatballs over, cover the pan, and finish cooking until they are cooked through, about 7 more minutes, again nudging to prevent sticking. If you like, you can remove the meatballs from the pan and continue cooking the sauce, uncovered, until it thickens.
• Allow meatballs to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve meatballs hot, covered with tomato sauce and garnished with parmesan cheese. Also, feel free to serve these bad boys on a sandwich with a little provolone, which is most definitely Italian!

POLPETTINE - ITALIAN HOUSEWIFE'S MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Chop garlic, celery leaves and potato.
• In a mixing bowl combine ground meat, bread crumbs, grated lemon peel, salt, chopped garlic, sage and celery leaves, potato, two tablespoons olive oil and the egg.
• Knead like bread dough and slowly add some milk to make a soft dough.
• The meat dough should be smooth and homogenous.
• Shape into 2 inch meatballs, flatten to about 1 1/2 inch thickness and fry in olive oil until golden brown.
• My aunt served them with a salad of cooked green beans and potatoes, seasoned with nothing but salt, pepper and savory and drizzled with olive oil.

ITALIAN MEATBALLS WITH CAPERS (POLPETTINE AI CAPPERI)

Steps:

• Put the meat in a mixing bowl.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted. Set aside and let cool briefly.
• Soak the bread crumbs in the milk and add this to the meat. Add the egg, cooked onions, salt and pepper. Add the marjoram and parsley and blend well.
• Divide the mixture into 14 portions and flatten each. Make a slight depression in the center of each meatball. Add an equal portion of the capers in the center of each. Bring up the edges and shape into balls, enclosing the capers in the center.
• Dredge each ball in flour and shake off excess.
• Heat the oil in a heavy, nonstick skillet and add the meatballs without crowding. Cook, turning carefully, until the meatballs are browned on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine and cover closely. Let simmer 12 minutes. Serve with a little of the hot pan liquid spooned over.

IRIS' TUSCAN MEATBALLS - {POLPETTINE ALLA IRIS} RECIPE

Steps:

• Grind the roast beef, mortadella, and parsley in a food processor until it is very fine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Drain the water from the porcini, pat them dry and chop them coarsely. Melt the butter in a small saute pan and cook the porcini for 2 or 3 minutes and then add them to the meat. Stir in the eggs, cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and the besciamella sauce. Mix all the ingredients until well combined. Use about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture to form each meatball. Place them on a baking sheet. Or make smaller meatballs as desired. Place some flour on a plate. Lightly roll each meatball in the flour; shake off the excess and place them on a platter. Cover and refrigerate them for at least 1 hour. Heat 3 cups of the oil in a deep fryer or heavy duty pot and when the oil registers 375 degrees, it is ready for frying. Fry the meatballs a few at a time in the oil until they are golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined tray to drain. Serve the meatballs warm on a bed of arugola leaves. Note: Iris used olive oil to fry the meatballs but sunflower oil works well too and gives a slightly lighter taste. The meatballs will cook faster if you use a small size skillet. This recipe yields 8 to 10 second course servings or 24 servings as part of an antipasto.