Left-Brain / Right-Brain Cookery

A double-take in the kitchen

Mediterranean Pork and Veal Meatballs

Pork and Veal Meatballs

Pork and Veal Meatballs

MEDITERRANEAN PORK & VEAL MEATBALLS by Right-Brain Joanna

One Sunday afternoon I began this recipe which happily fell together nicely as I notated what ingredients I used. Tender and tasty, and altogether worth opening a good bottle of red wine to round out the evening – do bring out the candles.

Serves 6-8
325F / 160C

Meatballs
1lb / 454g ground pork
1lb / 454g ground veal
1/4c / 60ml dry sherry
Large pinch saffron infused with the sherry
1tsp / 1g Oregano
1tsp /1g thyme
3/4 / 3g tsp salt
1/2 tsp /2g black pepper
1/2 tsp / 1g sweet smoked paprika
1 slice bread, preferably French or Italian, soaked in water and squeezed dry

Sauce
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 pimiento (or fresh red pepper), finely diced
1/4 of a preserved lemon, flesh discarded, finely diced*
12oz / 375ml chicken stock
1lb / 454g fresh baby spinach

Method

  1. Infuse the saffron in the sherry (it likes at least half an hour).
  2. Meantime mix all the rest of the meatball mix finally adding the sherry to blend in.
  3. Take a small nub of the mix and fry in a small pan. Taste for flavour, adding additional salt and pepper if you wish.
  4. Make meatballs into 11/2 – inch / 4cm in diameter.
  5. Brown meatballs gently, a few at a time and move to a warm platter.
  6. Using a small amount of olive oil (about a teaspoon) sauté the onions and the red pepper, if raw, until soft.
  7. Add the stock and preserved lemon and bring to a boil.
  8. Reduce heat (add pimiento if you are using it), the meatballs and any juices.
  9. Cover and bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in the spinach. Serve with tagliatelle (or other smaller sized noodles) or rice and your favourite salad.

You may have seen the Facebook lesson I did with Marilyn so you may have the preserved lemon in your pantry. Once tasted there is no going back. If you haven’t done that, add lemon juice and salt to taste to the sauce.

Marilyn’s comments:
It’s such a nice change to enjoy tender meatballs sans tomatoes and spaghetti pasta! This is easy company fare for me as I make it ahead and refrigerate – and add another 10 minutes or so to the baking time before I add the spinach.

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