Pork polpette

I really like Karen Martini's recipes, the ingredients always create a really lovely balance of tastes and texture. Her new book is out (one for the wish list perhaps) but this came from her weekly column in Sunday Life.

Pecorino is essentially any hard cheese made from goat's milk. It is very salty but the combination of the cheese and pistachio in these meat balls was amazing. Karen notes that these are good hot or cold, can be served as antipasto with bread or with roasted veggies and cheese. But I had it hot for dinner - perfect cold weather food!

Karen Martini's Pork Polpette with Pistachios, Lemon and Cannellini Beans
450g Minced pork
1 Egg
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 Lemon, zest finely grated and juiced
2 pinches Ground cinnamon
2 pinches Ground nutmeg
60g Finely grated pecorino
120g Fresh breadcrumbs
80g Pistachios, coarsely chopped
100ml Olive oil
1 Bay leaf
400g can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1) Place pork, egg, salt, pepper and lemon zest in a food processor and process for 1 min
2) Add cinnamon, nutmeg, pecorino and breadcrumbs and process for 30sec
3) Stir through pistachios
4) Form pork mixture into walnut-sized balls
5) Heat some of the olive oil over medium heat and brown the meatballs; add more oil as necessary
6) Add lemon juice, 250ml water and bay leaf, and bring to a simmer
7) Add cannellini beans, squashing some with the back of a spoon. Simmer for 15 mins or until meatballs are cooked and juices are slightly thickened.

Notes:
1) I confess, I didn't add the bay leaf as I'd run out. Still tasted and smelt great!
2) The recipe serves 4 as an antipasto.


Tagged with pecorino, pork polpette