Comments on: What’s Cooking Wednesday: Purpette – Polpette – Meatballs

By: marie concetta

marie concetta — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 01:37:34 +0000

very interesting. I never heard of veal and pork combo including the raisins and pine nuts. Thanks for sharing. Easy to see how pork and veal would be used in So. Italy, but I have always had beef for meatballs. Both sides of my family, Calabrese and Barese used beef. Seems like all of the recipes I’ve ever seen use beef also. I have added pork and/or hot sausages to flavor my sauce, though.

BTW, your photo is so mouth watering great that I am going to have to make some sauce before the week is up!

The veal and pork common is pretty much standard here in this area of Calabria; they’ll even sell them packaged in grocery stores like that. The raisins and pine nuts are more a Sicilian thing though

By: Rosemary

Rosemary — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 12:27:20 +0000

I know what you mean! I rarely go to Italian restaurants (in the states) because I am usually disappointed. Pizza – now that’s different. And restaurants in Italy – another story altogether!!

I remember my Mom using veal and pork on special occasions to make her meatballs. Since my husband can’t eat beef, I now make them with ground turkey. Not the same, but a good substitute if you season them right.

I’m definitely a fan of turkey as a substitute in many things…underrated meat as far as I’m concerned!

By: Joseph Chiaravalloti

Joseph Chiaravalloti — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:21:42 +0000

The meatball recipe looks about right for my grandmother’s purpette, but she didn’t have dried onion and garlic to work with and I can’t see adding anything dehydrated to the pure flavors of the meatball ingredients. Veal is required. Beef optional. Some of the pork should be hot Italian sausage with lots of fennel. If you don’t have sausage, add a bit of seed pepper and fennel to the pork. And, of course, flat Italian parsley and good bread crumbs.

I have tried browning the meatballs before putting them in the sauce and find that a non-stick chef’s pan does the best job of getting them browned evenly because you can toss them to get to all sides. I have also tried putting the meatballs in the sauce without browning, and it works well too. The sauce has to be simmering well to set the egg and keep the meatballs from falling apart. I like a long slow simmer — up to two hours, because the sauce continues to improve.

When making a big batch of meatballs, I freeze some so I can make up fresh sauce with meatballs later on. Eight meatballs will make a nice batch of “gravy” for two or three people, so I try to make 24. I batch for today, two batches to cheer me up on a cold or rainy day.

Finally, don’t forget to flatten some into ovals and fry them in a little olive oil. They are a real treat!

Thanks for your tips, Joseph! Now I’m hungry….

By: Willym

Willym — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:00:08 +0000

Well I just tried Nonna’s pulpetti and they are wonderful. Adding that to the weekend standard menus… mille grazie…

Willym’s last blog post..Anticipation – Verdi Requiem

Oh I’m so happy to hear you liked them Willym! Thanks for coming back to let me know

By: JT

JT — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:42:37 +0000

Mamam Pauline’s meatballs were the best…and I can hear her now. “John Thomas, where are you going? “Have some more. “Don’t worry, I made more than enough, because I knew you were coming over…so enjoy them. “Tomorrow, your Mother can make you those Polish meatballs, but the only place you can get these are right here, Honey…so just stay put until you’ve had enough!” I am off to the supermarket right now to give the recipe a shot! Thanks! JT

Hah, I didn’t know about the Polish meatballs, but I remember that she always made *a ton* of meatballs and braciole, those flat ones that are baked after frying. I didn’t do any of those this time, but I’ll have to take a photo one of these days because I learned that it’s something *very* local to here.

By: a.

a. — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:22:47 +0000

Like someone else before me here said, we make two kinds of meatballs. Actually, the story in my family is that nobody really likes the ones with raisins because my grandmother thought raisins looked like bugs and got weirded out, but sometimes my dad will make them like that.

Anyway, before I was a vegetarian, I would help my dad and mom (can you believe that? An Italian husband and wife who cook together??) make meatballs, only we put milk in as well as an egg. We also don’t put any onion or garlic powder, but real chopped garlic instead. A bit of parsley, breadcrumb (and sometimes not even breadcrumb, just stale bread), and traditionally we use beef. But we switch it up, sometimes pork, sometimes veal, sometimes even turkey which is YUMMY.

I too have never had spaghetti and meatballs, but I have had meatballs in a sauce with sausage and braciole as a main course.

a.’s last blog post..HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hee hee…P and I cook together all the time…new generations! I actually like them with finely chopped onion and/or garlic but P doesn’t. Boo.

By: Andy Bailey

Andy Bailey — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:24:53 +0000

I think meatballs are the one of the things I miss most since giving up beef. yours look lovely

Andy Bailey’s last blog post..I finally made it back to the gym – video blog post

Oh I’d definitely miss meatballs. I’ll enjoy some for you Andy

By: The Food Hunter

The Food Hunter — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:29:51 +0000

I’m with you…I’ve never eaten a meatball in the states anywhere but at home. In our famliy the meat (meatballs, sausage, chicken thighs, pork ribs and beef ribs) always came out after the pasta and right before the salad. Your recipe is similar to mine but we use beef, pork and veal. It’s funny how many different wayt there are to make something as simple as a meatball.

The Food Hunter’s last blog post..A Blog Award…

I’ve often seen “meatball mix” in supermarkets in the US with beef, pork, and veal…you’re not alone

By: Bren

Bren — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:28:20 +0000

That’s because we get so caught up in our own little world and our own food, not to mention all the great food we see on everyone else’s blog, we just run out of time! But grandma’s meatballs look so succulent!

make sure to have something “green” on the side to give you that balance!

Thanks for the shout out and link! woo hoo!

hugz bella.

Bren’s last blog post..1 Yr. Anniversary of Blogging! Give Away Extended!

Can’t wait to see who wins

By: saretta

saretta — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:18:26 +0000

Oh yum! I love meatballs! And yours sound delish! Will have to try your granny’s recipe. Thanks for sharing!

saretta’s last blog post..SS16bis

Hope you enjoy Saretta