Polpettini Recipes

POLPETTE NAPOLETANE

Steps:

• Put the bread in a small mixing bowl, cover with milk, and leave to soak.
• Chop the parsley and garlic together. Put meat into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the milk out of the bread and add to meat. Add parsley and garlic. Use your hands to mix the ingredients. Break eggs into the mixture to bind it. Keep mixing. Add the pecorino. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shape meatballs by hand, make a hole in the top and insert a small piece of mozzarella. Cover it up and pat meatball into shape. Roll them in bread crumbs. Pour olive oil into a frying pan and when it's really hot, fry the meatballs for 5 minutes, or until they have formed a crust. Then turn over. When golden brown and crusty on both sides remove the meatballs from the pan and drain on paper towels.
• Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, cover and cook very slowly on low heat for 45 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by half.
• Pour enough oil into a saucepan to cover the surface. Add garlic and 3 tins of tomatoes, mashing them slightly. Boil the sauce for 5 minutes and simmer for another 3 minutes.
• Cooking Time: 8 minutes

POLPETTONE TWO WAYS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the bread with 1/2 cup of the milk and break apart with your fingers. Mix well and allow the bread to soak for 5 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, egg, prosciutto, Parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute the prosciutto. Add the turkey and parsley and mix well. Divide the mixture into 2 even oblong loaves.
• Heat 2 medium skillets over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to each pan. Add a loaf to each pan and cook on all sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Divide the white wine between the two pans and cook until reduced by half. Add the remaining 2 cups milk and 1/4 teaspoon salt to one of the pans and bring to a simmer. Add the marinara to the other pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat under each pan to medium low and cover the pans. Braise until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees in the center of each loaf, about 25 minutes, carefully flipping the loaves about halfway through.
• Remove the loaves from the pan and allow them to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Remove the marinara from the heat and stir with a wooden spoon. Simmer the remaining milk, uncovered, until it reduces by half. It will be slightly brown and look broken. Using an immersion blender, blend the milk until fully emulsified and creamy. Serve each polpettone with its respective sauce.

POLPETTINI

Steps:

• Coat a large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add 3 diced onions, season with salt and cook until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 3 finely chopped garlic cloves and cook 2 to 3 more minutes. Let cool.
• Mix 1/2 pound each ground beef, veal and pork with the onion mixture, 3/4 cup Parmigiano, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup water, 3 eggs and 3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary; season with salt. The mixture should be pretty loosey-goosey; add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water if needed. Roll into 1-inch balls.
• Working in four batches, cook the polpettini in olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, turning, until browned. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to each batch; cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve on rosemary sprig "toothpicks."

POLPETTONE WITH SPINACH AND PROVOLONE

Steps:

• Put bread cubes in a small bowl, cover with cream and set aside to soak until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Put beef, pork and veal in a mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, sage and parsley. Add Parmesan and, using hands, knead seasoning into meat. Combine soaked bread (and any remaining cream) with beaten eggs, then pour mixture over seasoned meat and knead until well combined.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-by-18-inch baking sheet with parchment or foil. Press ground meat mixture evenly over parchment to make a flat rectangle slightly smaller than the baking sheet. Top with slices of mortadella. Scatter cooked spinach evenly over mortadella. Break provolone slices into rough pieces and distribute over surface. Finish with hard-cooked egg chopped into chunks.
• Using parchment to help, roll the meat into a long cylinder with filling on the inside. With the long side facing you, first lift parchment and use it to roll meat to the center, pressing down to keep it in place. Then lift parchment on the opposite long side, bringing meat just past the center to overlap itself slightly. Pinch the "seam" of the meat together to keep filling in place. Sprinkle with half the dry crumbs. You will now have a cylinder approximately 15 inches long. Twist ends of parchment to firm the mixture, then transfer to a deep-sided baking dish or roasting pan, and place it seam-side down. Carefully remove and discard parchment. With hands, press firmly to form cylinder into a long loaf with rounded ends. Dust top and sides with remaining bread crumbs. (The polpettone may be prepared to this point several hours, or up to 24 hours, in advance; keep refrigerated and bring to room temperature before baking.)
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until internal temperature is 140 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes and cut into 1-inch-thick slices and serve. (Alternatively, cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 3 days. If serving cold, cut thinner slices.)

ZUPPA DI POLPETTINI

Steps:

• Pour the olive oil into a large heavy bottomed pot with the garlic. Place over a medium flame and let the garlic brown. Be careful not to let it burn. Put the tomatoes through a blender to liquefy. Add to the browned garlic along with the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the tomato mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and carefully drop the meatballs into the sauce. Let simmer for 1 hour.
• Add the peas and the cooked pasta and serve hot with grated cheese. Serve with Italian bread, if desired.
• Put the ground beef into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, garlic, parsley, salt, cheese and pepper and mix by hand until well combined. Form the mixture into 1 inch balls - a small ice cream scoop works well for this. Place the meatballs close together on a baking sheet as you make them. When finished, drop them into the simmering sauce.

POLPETTI BURGERS

Steps:

• Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil, add the onions, and bring to medium heat. Season the onions with salt and cook until soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the cooled onion mixture with the beef, veal, pork, rosemary, Parmigiano, bread crumbs, egg, and 3 to 4 tablespoons of water. Mix well and season generously with salt.
• Make a 1- to 2-inch tester patty. In a small sauté pan, heat a bit of oil and cook the patty. When it's cool enough, taste it to make sure it's delicious-if it's not, reseason. When the tester tastes fabulous, form the meat mixture into four equal patties.
• Preheat a grill or coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and bring it to medium-high heat. Cook the burgers for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Toast the buns on the grill or in the toaster. While the second side of the burger cooks, place a slice of cheese on top and let it melt.
• Schmear each side of the bun lightly with mayonnaise, place a burger on each bottom half, garnish with the arugula, tomato, and onions (pickled or otherwise), top with the other half of the bun, and serve.

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN MEATBALLS/POLPETTE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together
• Form about the size of golf balls
• Make or pour tomato sauce into a deep pot Drop meat balls in sauce.
• Simmer for at least 2 hours.

LEMON POLPETTINI

Steps:

• Spread flour on large baking sheet. Combine breadcrumbs, pork, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, thyme, Parmesan, and anchovy in large bowl. Add a large pinch each of salt and pepper and mix ingredients gently but thoroughly by hand, being careful not to compact the mixture too much. Shape into 18-20 balls, about a heaped tablespoon each, and put on floured baking sheet.
• Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat until butter melts and foam subsides. Roll enough meatballs to fit comfortably in skillet in flour until lightly coated. Cook until golden brown on all sides, in batches if necessary, 10-12 minutes per batch. Avoid moving unless necessary to promote caramelization.
• Pour off most of fat from skillet and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Serve with pasta and juices from pan.