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Veal, Pork and Ricotta Meatballs

Source of Recipe

From "Wine Bites" by Barbara Scott-Goodman


Recipe Introduction

"Meatballs are fabulous and everyone has their own favorite recipe. Mine are made with veal, pork, ricotta and Parmesan cheese. It's important to give them enough time to chill before cooking them. A classic pairing would be Chianti, as it always complements red meat and tomato sauce. A peppery, full-bodied Zinfandel also works well."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 slices white country bread, crusts removed, cut into cubes
â—¦ ¾ pound ground veal
â—¦ ¾ pound ground pork
â—¦ ¾ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
â—¦ ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
â—¦ 1 large egg, lightly beaten
â—¦ 1 teaspoon fines herbes or herbes de Provence
â—¦ Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ About ½ cup olive oil for frying


Recipe

Put the bread cubes in a food processor and pulse to make fine crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the veal and pork and mix together with your hands.

In another bowl, stir together the cheeses, egg, herbs, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cheese mixture to the meat mixture and work the mixture together with your hands until it is well incorporated. Roll the mixture into balls that are about 1 inch in diameter. Put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the meatballs to the pan, in batches, and cook until brown on one side before turning. Cook the meatballs, turning occasionally, until they are evenly cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels or absorbent paper and serve at once.

Makes about 3 dozen



• Wine Bite Idea:
For delicious deconstructed mini-meatball sandwiches, build skewers with a small square of Italian bread, a smear of tomato sauce, a meatball half, and a small piece of Parmesan cheese on each.