Italian
Beef Meatballs
by Bruno Barbieri Chef · 513K subscribers on YouTube
A delicate and flavourful dish featuring soft beef meatballs served in a comforting lamb's lettuce and potato soup. Perfect for sharing.
- Difficulty
- medium
Ingredients
23 items- Ground BeefMinced beef, preferably Fassona Piemontese or Reggiana
- Fresh PancettaFresh pancetta, cut into chunks
- Patate CrudeRaw potatoes, diced for the soup
- Boiled PotatoesBoiled potatoes, mashed for the meatballs
- Songino / Grassa GallinaLamb's lettuce (mâche), also called 'grassa gallina'
- EggsEggs, using white and yolk separately
- Pane BiancoWhite bread, soaked in milk
- MilkMilk to soak the bread
- Parmigiano ReggianoGrated Parmigiano Reggiano, generous amount
- Extra Virgin Olive OilExtra virgin olive oil
- Tropea Red OnionTropea red onion, for the soup
- GarlicGarlic, used in the soup and optionally in the meatball cooking
- VinegarVinegar (likely red wine vinegar), a splash for the soup
- Vegetable BrothHomemade vegetable broth
- PomodorinoCherry tomato, for the broth
- ParsleyParsley, for the broth
- BasilBasil, for the broth
- SaltSalt, to taste
- PepperBlack pepper, to taste
- RosemaryFresh rosemary, chopped
- SageFresh sage leaves
- ButterButter, a knob for cooking meatballs
- Aglio (facoltativo)(optional) — Garlic clove, optional for the final pan
Method
- Prepare the vegetable broth: place water, onion, cherry tomato, parsley, basil, and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil.
- In another pot, sauté Tropea onion and garlic in extra virgin olive oil. Add diced raw potatoes and a splash of vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
- Strain the vegetable broth into the pot with the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are tender and the broth has slightly thickened.
- Meanwhile, prepare the meatball mixture: soak the bread in milk. Combine minced beef, squeezed bread, mashed boiled potatoes, chopped rosemary, Parmigiano Reggiano, a little egg white and one egg yolk. Mix well and season with salt. Let rest in the refrigerator.
- When the potato soup is ready, add the lamb's lettuce (songino) and stir. Keep warm.
- Remove the meatball mixture from the fridge and shape into meatballs.
- In a frying pan, heat a drizzle of oil and brown the fresh pancetta pieces. Add rosemary, sage, and optionally a garlic clove. Add a knob of butter, then the meatballs, and cook until golden brown.
- Serve the meatballs over the lamb's lettuce soup, garnishing with some crispy pancetta and a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.
Bruno Barbieri Chef
Professional chef513K subscribers on YouTube62.7M total channel viewsIl canale ufficiale di Bruno Barbieri: video ricette, backstage, curiosità... questo e molto di più sul canale YouTube dello Chef italiano che ha conquistato in carriera il maggior numero di stelle Michelin: in tutto 7. Giudice di MasterChef Italia dalla prima edizione e conduttore di 4 Hotel. Viaggiatore instancabile, gira il mondo esibendosi in road show culinari, che ama definire “teatri di cucina”.
