Polpette in Salsa di Pomodoro
Region: Italy, Campania
Category: Beef
Season: Any
Difficulty: Labor Intensive
This rich and delicious preparation is an Italian-American favorite. 
There are many different recipes, although this one is reminiscent of the luxurious cooking of Campania. There is some work involved in, but the recipe is greatly rewarding. Most of the work is the preliminary chopping and mixing. You will also be cooking two elements simultaneously and then combining them to finish the dish. Some cooks don't mix meats while others use a good deal of bread and yet others throw peppers into their sauce, either chiles or sweet peppers. It will all taste good.
[photo: Clifford A. Wright]
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation Time: 2:15 minutes
Olive oil for frying
1/4 pound (4 slices) stale French or Italian country bread (toast lightly if not stale)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium large onion, chopped fine
1 large garlic clove, chopped fine
1 celery stalk, chopped fine
6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
3 slices pancetta, chopped
6 slices soppressata, chopped
2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups robust red wine (such as Barolo, Barbaresco, or Chianti)
Bouquet garni, consisting of 1 sprig of fresh sage (with about 8 leaves) and one of fresh rosemary, and 1 bunch fresh thyme, and 1 fresh bay leaf (preferably) or dry, tied in cheesecloth
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
1. In a deep-fryer or an 8-inch saucepan with a wire fry basket, preheat the frying oil to 370ºF.
2. Dip the bread in a little milk, squeeze the milk out and crumble the bread into a mixing bowl. On a large chopping board, chop everything that needs chopping and make individual little piles.
3. In a deep, flame-proof casserole, heat the olive oil over high heat, then add 3/4s of the chopped onions and garlic, 1 stalk of chopped celery, 2/3s of the chopped parsley, the chopped pancetta and chopped soppressata. Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, red wine, and bouquet garni. Reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally, breaking up the tomatoes, and cook until the sauce is denser, partially covered, about 1 hour. Remove the bouquet garni and discard.
5. Meanwhile, in the mixing bowl with the bread, knead the beef, pork, egg yolks, bread, cheese, the remaining onion, the remaining celery, the remaining parsley, and salt and pepper together. Knead vigorously and then, with cold, wet hands to prevent sticking, form the meat into meatballs the size of a large walnut.
6. Dredge the meatballs in the flour to coat them and then deep-fry in batches until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove the meatballs to a platter lined with some absorbent paper towel as each batch finishes cooking. After all the meatballs, place in the tomato sauce and cook over low heat, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook another 30 minutes. If not serving immediately cover the casserole and keep in a warm oven.
Variation: You can bake the meatballs at 350 degrees for 30 minutes rather than frying them.
Note:
Posted: 12/11/2006
