The traditional Milanese recipe for oval meatballs made with cooked beef, mortadella, milk-soaked bread, Grana Padano, parsley, and nutmeg, then breaded and browned in butter.
Ingredients
- 650 g cooked stewed beef such as pot-au-feu or boiled beef
- 150 g Bologna mortadella
- 140 g stale white bread
- 180 ml whole milk
- 2 pieces fresh eggs
- 90 g grated Grana Padano cheese
- 0.5 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 1 piece whole nutmeg
- 180 g fine plain breadcrumbs
- 140 g unsalted butter
- to taste fine salt
- to taste ground black pepper
Method
- Take the cooked meat out of the refrigerator to take the chill off. Carefully check for any bones, cartilage, or large sinews, then shred it roughly.
- Trim off any tough crust from the bread if necessary. Tear the crumb into a bowl, pour the milk over it, and let it soak until completely soft.
- Squeeze the bread firmly in your hands to remove excess milk. It should remain moist and supple, but no longer release liquid.
- Pass the cooked meat, mortadella, and squeezed bread through a meat grinder fitted with a medium plate. Alternatively, pulse them briefly in a food processor without turning the mixture into a paste.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, Grana Padano, finely chopped parsley, garlic paste, and a bit of freshly grated nutmeg.
- Season conservatively with salt, as the mortadella and cheese are already salty, then add black pepper. Knead briefly by hand until you get a smooth, pliable filling that is firm enough to hold its shape.
- Refrigerate the mixture to let the bread absorb moisture and allow the filling to firm up. If it still feels too soft, fold in just a small handful of breadcrumbs.
- Portion the mixture evenly with lightly moistened hands. Shape into oval, plump, slightly flattened patties, keeping the generous thickness characteristic of mondeghili.
- Spread the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Roll each meatball in the crumbs and press gently to coat evenly all over. Shake off any excess without crushing the meatballs.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it foams without browning, add the mondeghili, leaving space between each one.
- Cook gradually on each side until evenly golden brown. Baste regularly with the foaming butter and adjust the heat to prevent the milk solids from burning.
- Transfer the mondeghili to paper towels and let them rest briefly. Serve hot and simple, with their crisp golden crust and tender center.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 809.3 kcal
- Protein
- 46.43 g
- Carbohydrate
- 37.34 g
- Fat
- 51.45 g
- Fibre
- 2.73 g
- Calcium
- 230.54 mg
- Iron
- 0.57 mg
- Magnesium
- 19.59 mg
