Polpettine Alla Griglia Sicilian Lemon Grilled Meatballs Food

SICILIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Place the torn bread in a small bowl and pour the milk over it; set aside to soak.
• Place a roasting pan on the counter; add a healthy drizzle of oil, about 1 tablespoon.
• Add the canned tomatoes to the pan and crush with a potato masher or a wooden spoon.
• Season the tomatoes liberally with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, using your hands, combine the ground sirloin, the remaining tablespoon oil, the garlic, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, allspice, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts, currants, egg, and salt and pepper.
• Squeeze out the excess milk from the soaking bread (it should be loose and in small pieces), then add it to the meat mixture; discard the milk.
• Form the meatball mixture into 12 baseball-size balls, each about 3 inches in diameter, and place them in the roasting pan, nestling them into the tomatoes.
• Roast until the meatballs are brown and cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Place the ciabatta, unwrapped, in the oven to heat when the meatballs are just about done.
• Tear the warm, crusty bread into large pieces.
• Remove the meatballs from the oven and arrange the torn pieces of bread in and around the meatballs and sauce.
• Stir the ricotta cheese together with the basil, season with salt and pepper, and pass at the table.
• Complement each serving of 2 large meatballs with 2-3 tablespoons of cool ricotta spooned along side.

LEMON MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat.
• Add onion and garlic; cook 3-4 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and the onion mixture; mix well.
• Form into 18 meatballs.
• In the same skillet, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat.
• Add the meatballs and cook 15-20 minutes or until beef is no longer pink inside, turning occasionally.
• While the meatballs are cooking, prepare spaghetti according to package directions, drain and arrange on serving platter.
• Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• When meatballs are cooked, arrange them on top of spaghetti; add lemon juice to the skillet and stir to scrape drippings from the bottom of the pan; pour over meatballs and spaghetti.
• Sprinkle meatballs with parsley and lemon peel in desired, and serve.

ITALIAN MINI MEATBALLS (POLPETTINE DI CARNE)

Steps:

• Using a large mixing bowl, combine ground meat, salt, pepper, oregano, egg, parsley, Parmigiano Reggiano, and breadcrumbs.
• Mix just enough to combine.
• Start forming the mini meatballs by using a teaspoon to scoop a portion of the mixture and rolling them with your hands.
• Place all the mini meatballs on a tray while heating the vegetable oil on a small to a medium-sized saucepan.
• Once the oil is ready, start frying them.
• Cook until golden and darker in color -- then place it on a kitchen towel to drain any excess oil.
• Serve with marinara sauce if desired.

POLPETTINE ALLA GRIGLIA (SICILIAN LEMON GRILLED MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients except the leaves, and make many slightly flattened meatballs small enough that you can wrap each in a leaf (use a toothpicks or skewers to keep them rolled).
• Grill the meatballs until done and squeeze with lemon before serving. (The leaves are not edible, so you may wish to wrap the leaves in a manner that will be quick to unwrap.).

POLPETTINE IN AGRODOLCE DI GANGIVECCHIO (SWEET SOUR MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• In a bowl combine the veal, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, and pecorino and season with salt and pepper. Shape lightly into 1-inch balls (about 36).
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan. Cook the veal balls over medium heat until brown all over and just cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and stir in the onions. Season with salt and cook over medium-low heat until the onions are limp, about 15 minutes, stirring often. Don't let the onions brown.
• Stir in the vinegar, sugar, and water.
• Return the meatballs to the pan and gently turn to coat them lightly in the sauce. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently. Transfer to a serving dish and cool. Serve at room temperature.

LEMON GRANITA

Steps:

• With a vegetable peeler remove zest in long pieces from 2 lemons. Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from lemons.
• In a small heavy saucepan heat water and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in zest and transfer syrup to a bowl to cool. Chill syrup, covered, until cold. Discard zest and stir in lemon juice.
• For eastern-Sicilian granita:
• Freeze lemon mixture in an ice-cream maker until spoonable but not crumbly and serve immediately.
• For western-Sicilian granita:
• Freeze lemon mixture in a metal bowl, stirring every 30 minutes to remove ice crystals from side of bowl, until liquid has become granular but is still slightly slushy, about 3 to 4 hours. Serve granita immediately.

CLASSIC MEATBALLS 'POLPETTINE'

Steps:

• Combine the ground beef, pork, and veal in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped parsley, garlic, cheese, and eggs, and mix well to incorporate.
• Soak the fresh breadcrumbs in milk for 2 minutes, then add to the meat mixture and combine well. Season the meat mixture with salt and pepper; test the seasonings by cooking a tablespoon of the mixture in a skillet and tasting it.
• Set up a platter to hold the meatballs and begin forming the meat into 2-ounce size meatballs - an ice cream scoop may serve as a guide, or roughly 4 tablespoons worth will equal 2 ounces - and setting them on the platter while you continue to make meatballs. Keep the batches of meatballs refrigerated while continuing to make more meatballs. When they are all completed, keep cold until ready to cook.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and put a small layer of olive oil in the bottom and heat for 30 seconds before adding several meatballs, in 1 layer, to cover the bottom of the skillet, and cook and brown on all sides. Continue to cook the meatballs in batches by coating the bottom of the skillet with enough oil, heating, adding meatballs to the pan without overcrowding, and sautéing them on all sides.
• Add the tomato sauce to a large sauce pot and bring to a boil. Add the cooked meatballs and lower the sauce to a simmer; cook for 20 minutes.
• Serve immediately or cool and keep refrigerated 5 days.

SICILIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Mince or press the garlic, and chop the parsley into fine pieces (or you can cut the measurement and use dried parsley flakes).
• Grate the onion and place in a bowl.
• Add all of the ingredients above, except for the olive oil, and mix together in the bowl.
• Form balls into the size of golf balls and then dip your hand (or brush) in the oil and then rub it on the balls.
• Place on cookie sheet and brown at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• I usually add these to my marinara sauce, but you can eat them many other ways as well!