Polpettine alla Arancia e Origano Siciliano
Polpettine alla Arancia e Origano Siciliano
Ingredients:
Serves 4 to 6
400 gms ground pork
2 shallots
Zest of an Orange
1.5 ts Sicilian oregano
80 gms (3 slices) of Tuscan bread, crusts removed and sliced into cubes (about 2 cups cubed)
Milk as needed
30 gms (½ a cup) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 egg
2 cloves or garlic
(1) 400 gm (14 oz) can of whole, peeled tomatoes
A handful of parsley, finely chopped
EVOO
Salt to taste
Ground green peppercorn
Method:
Place the bread in a bowl and cover with milk. Press the bread into the milk really well and let it sit for a few minutes, while you work on mixing everything else. In a large bowl add the ground pork, half of the grated cheese, dried oregano, zest of an orange, salt to taste, cracked green peppercorn (its milder than black, and I love it...if you prefer black pepper it’s ok but keep in mind it’s quite a pungent spice with pork). Finely dice the shallot, and add to the pork mixture. By this point the bread will have been soaking in the milk a few minutes. Lift it out of the milk and while pressing the excess milk out of the bread also slightly break down into smaller pieces and add to the pork mixture. Once all the bread has been added, mix everything until it just comes together. Try not to over mix as this will make the meatballs very dense. The purpose of the adding this much bread soaked in milk is what gives the meatballs their lightness you will taste
Now we are ready to form the meatballs. Instead of frying I prefer to roast at 200 C (400 F) on convections with the fan running. It roasts the meatballs and browns them all over. This is essentially what the air fryer does and why I refuse to get one. Your oven is even better if you use it at high temperature at convection with the fan for even browning.
Get a baking tray, and drizzle with oil. Using a small spoon scoop out the pork mixture and roll in between your hands lightly to form even polpettini. Try not to press, they should be very lightly formed. Lay them out on your baking tray. Once you finish, pop them in your preheated oven and cook until they brown. Every oven is slightly different, and if you have a hot spot make sure to turn then halfway through. In my oven they were ready in about 25 min.
Crispy Polpettine Right Out of the Oven
After you place the polpettini in the oven you can start the sauce. In a medium sized pot drizzle some EVOO, and add two smashed cloves. Turn on the heat to low/medium and sauté the garlic a few minutes until they are golden. Add the whole peeled tomatoes, and add half a can or water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for the remaining time. This should take about 20 minutes for them to cook. Smash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, season with salt and a pinch of sugar as needed to balance the acidity.
When the meatballs have been browned, add them to the tomato sauce and cook for about another 10 min. Add half of the remaining grated cheese and stir. Plate and add additional grated cheese, as well as some chopped parsley.
When the Sauce is Ready, and the Meatballs Crispy Add to the Sauce
In Italy we eat polpettine as a secondo or as a meat course. It’s often had with a couple slices of bread since it’s a saucy dish. Maybe even with a sautéed green as a side. It’s not very common to have it with pasta here, but do what makes you happy, I won’t judge as these orangey meatballs with oregano will taste so good almost anyway you choose to have them. Enjoy!
