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Prepare a stock with the meat and vegetables.
Mondeghili (Milanese Meatballs): The Original Recipe
The Original Recipe for Mondeghili
These meatballs were once a dish of the 'povera cucina' or poor kitchen, but today they are elevated into a gourmet dish, prepared with quality ingredients.
Here is the recipe from Cesare Battisti, chef of Ratanà in Milan, a restaurant that defends tradition and territoriality with many touches of creativity.
04 March, 2021
serves for
6
ingredients
Veal
400g
Carrots
1
White onion
1
Grana padano cheese
40g
Eggs
1
Bread
100g (Stale bread)
Nutmeg
To taste
Breadcrumbs
q.s
Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp
Butter
15g
Salt
to taste
Black pepper
to taste
Mondeghili, or Milanese meatballs, are one of the best-known and loved dishes of Milanese cuisine. It's a famous Lombard dish made from the leftovers of roast veal.
These fried meatballs are a delicacy that goes well as an appetiser before starting lunch or dinner, but are just as good served at aperitif time, accompanied by a glass of still white wine or bubbles.
In the clip below, Matteo Fronduti from Manna restaurant in Milan presents the classic recipe for mondeghili based on boiled meats, as well as a second, more creative option.
Step 01
Step 02
When the meat is cooked, pass it through a meat grinder together with the vegetables, garlic and bread soaked in milk.
Put the mixture in a glass bowl.
Step 03
At this point, add the whole egg, grated cheese, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Knead well so that all the ingredients and flavours can blend together.
Step 04
Then make the meatballs, ensuring they are slightly flattened, and cover them in the breadcrumbs.
Brown them in a pan with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a knob of butter. The meatballs are ready when they are golden brown and crunchy.
The quantity indicated is for the preparation of about 35-40 mondeghili of 20 g each.
