Region: Italy
Category: Beef
Season: Any
Difficulty: Medium Difficulty
This easy recipe for meatballs has a nice texture and can be served with a trito of  (2)LO.jpg)
very finely chopped ripe tomato and mint–think of it as an Italian pico de gallo or salsa. Serve with pasta or rice. Sliced leftovers are great in sandwiches.
[photo: Clifford A. Wright]
Yield: Makes 2 to 4 servings
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Olive or sunflower seed oil for frying
1 pound ground beef (85 percent lean)
2 tablespoons roasted ground almonds
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons finely chopped onions
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
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 360ºF.
2. In a large bowl, with both hands knead the meat, almonds, parmigiano, egg yolks, onions, mint, and season with salt and pepper until well mixed. Take a small amount of meat and flatten it into a patty in your hand. Place a small cube of fresh mozzarella in the middle of the patty and fold the meat over, forming into a ball about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Mold together with both palms.
3. Dredge the meatball in the flour, tapping off the excess flour and deep-fry for 2 minutes, turning once, so all sides are brown. Drain on paper towels and serve.
Variation:
Note: If you cook these meatballs in a skillet instead of deep-frying them, shake frequently to avoid sticking, or scrape up with a spatula.
Posted: 12/11/2006
