Nonna’s “Polpette in Tocio” (Milk-Braised Meatballs)

90 mins
Serves 1
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Directions

  1. 1Mix breadcrumbs and cream until absorbed.
  2. 2Add garlic, eggs, parsley, Parmesan, and generous salt & pepper to the breadcrumb mixture.
  3. 3Add the ground beef, pork, and veal to the mixture and mix until just combined.
  4. 4Roll the mixture into small meatballs.
  5. 5Coat the meatballs in flour.
  6. 6Fry the meatballs in vegetable or grapeseed oil (halfway up the meatballs) until deeply golden brown.
  7. 7Remove the fried meatballs and set them aside.
  8. 8In a large pan, sauté diced onions in olive oil and butter until soft.
  9. 9Add minced garlic to the pan and let it bloom to create your sofrito.
  10. 10Add the fried meatballs to the sofrito and turn to coat.
  11. 11Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  12. 12Pour in 2% milk until the meatballs are almost fully submerged.
  13. 13Simmer on medium-low for 30–60 minutes until the milk has mostly reduced, turning occasionally.
  14. 14Add white wine and reduce on medium-high until you have a golden sauce with little cheese curds (fregoe).

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb ground veal
  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup cream
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 0.33 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup Parmesan, finely grated
  • Salt
  • pepper
  • Flour to coat
  • Vegetable or grapeseed oil for frying
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Olive oil
  • butter
  • 1 L 2% milk
  • 1.33 cup white wine

Equipment

large pan

Tips

  • Don’t overwork the meatball mixture.
  • The longer and slower the meatballs simmer in milk, the more tender they will be.