Meat and Potato Meatballs

Meat and potato meatballs are a rustic and flavorful dish that works well both as a main course and as an appetizer. Here is the recipe in Italian style:

Ingredients

• 500 g ground meat (beef or a mix of beef and pork)
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 egg
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Breadcrumbs (about 50-70 g, as needed to obtain a compact mixture)
• 2 cloves of garlic.
• Extra virgin olive oil for frying

Preparation

1. Peel the potatoes and cook them in boiling salted water until soft. Once cooked, drain and mash them with a potato masher or fork.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ground meat with the mashed potatoes, egg, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, the 2 cloves of garlic finely minced, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Mix all the ingredients well until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. If the dough is too soft, add breadcrumbs until you reach the desired consistency.

4. Take portions of the mixture and shape into meatballs the size of a walnut (or larger if you prefer).

5. Heat the oil in a large skillet and, when hot, fry the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pan to allow even cooking.

6. Once cooked, transfer the meatballs to paper towels to remove excess oil.

Trivia

Meatballs originated in ancient Rome, where they were called “isicia omentata”. They were preparations of minced meat mixed with various ingredients and spices, then cooked over fire or roasted. Today, meatballs are found in multiple variations around the world, each with its own particularity.

Buon appetito!