Polpette in Salsa Verde

By LeeBoruchow

Meatballs with green sauce. Not your typical stereotypical meatball dish!

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 lb sweet pork sausage, skin removed
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch basil leaves, chiffonade
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup pecorino
• salt
• extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus 1/2 cup
• 6 salt-packed anchovies, rinsed, soaked in milk for 1 hour, and filleted
• 3 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch mint, leaves only, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

Briefly soak bread cubes in milk. Squeeze out excess and add to a bowl. Add the beef, sausage, garlic, basil, eggs pecorino, and salt to taste, and mix well to combine. Make golf ball-sized balls out of the meat mixture and set aside.

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat some oil. Pan fry the meatballs in the oil until golden brown and cooked through, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Remove the meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm.

In the work bowl of a food processor, puree 1/2 cup oil, anchovies, capers, parsley, mint and white vinegar. Season sauce with salt if needed. Serve meatballs with the sauce.