Polpettone di Maiale

Like “Le lasange”, meatballs vary from region to region. In Campania the
secret is in the pine nuts and raisins. Buone
feste!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 to 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 6 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons raisins, diced
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely cut
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• dash of salt and pepper
• 1 to 2 cups red wine
• 1 quart tomato sauce

Method:
After beating
2 eggs, add cheese, ½ cup of bread crumbs, a dash of salt and pepper, and
parsley. Mix well. Add mixture to ground pork. Use your hands to mix the
ingredients well. When the mixture has the correct consistency, add pine nuts
and raisins. Form meatballs either round or in the shape of an egg.

Note: when preparing meatballs, it is important to obtain the correct
texture. You don’t want them too wet or dry. If they are too wet, add some more
bread crumbs. If they are too dry, add an egg white.

Add olive oil to a
pan and heat. When oil is hot, place meatballs in the pan and cook on one side
until a crust is formed. Then, very slowly turn the meatballs from side to side
so the entire ball has formed a hard crust. Add red wine to the pan and let it
evaporate.

When all the wine has been cooked off, add tomato sauce,
cover, and bring to a boil. Leave at a boil for a couple of minutes and then
reduce heat to low. Keep loosely covered and simmer for an hour.

Serve
with pasta or crusty Italian bread.