Though meatballs with raisins might sound somewhat unlikely they are quite traditional. The recipe is Calabrian, and the Italian source I worked from doesn't give measurements, so feel free to adjust quantities to suit your taste.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 pounds (500 g) lean pork, ground
- Day-old Italian bread, crusts discarded and shredded (I'd figure about a cup, and would
- soak it in milk then drain it well)
- Minced parsley (1/4 cup)
- 2 eggs
- Grated Pecorino Roman (3/4 cup)
- Raisins (1/2 cup)
- Freshly made (or bought) tomato sauce
- Olive oil (1/4 cup)
- Salt
Preparation:
Soak the raisins in warm water for a half hour to revive them. Grind the meat and combine it with the bread, eggs, cheese, and parsley, seasoning to taste with salt. Make your meatballs, including a couple of raisins in the heart of each one.
Sauté the meatballs in the olive oil, turning them so they brown on all sides, and when they're done stir in a cup or so of tomato sauce and heat through.
Serve accompanied by broccoli rabe, and a moderately tannic red wine, for example a Ciró Rosso(the normal vintage, not the riserva).
Sauté the meatballs in the olive oil, turning them so they brown on all sides, and when they're done stir in a cup or so of tomato sauce and heat through.
Serve accompanied by broccoli rabe, and a moderately tannic red wine, for example a Ciró Rosso(the normal vintage, not the riserva).
