Shelly's Recipe

ITALIAN STUFFED MEATBALLS

Category: Meatballs

Meatballs
1/4 lb finely ground lean veal
1 cup freshly grated bread crumbs
1 cup grated caciacavallo or pecarino cheese
3 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste

20-30 spinach leaves, stems removed
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 6 slices, lengthwise
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp freshly grated bread crumbs
6 slices prosciutto and caciacavallo
6 tbsp olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup dry red wine

In a large bowl, combine meatball ingredients, and mix by hand. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil and add 1 tbsp salt. Dip spinach leaves in the water to just wilt and immediately remove. Add the carrot slices to the boiling water and cook 4-5 minutes, then remove and set aside.

Combine the flour with the breascrumbs and heavily dust a wooden work board with the mixture. Pat the veal mixture into 1/2 inch thick rectangle and lay the spinach leaves over the meat, leaving a 1 inch border on the short sides.

Lay the carrot slices over the spinach in the sam fashion, then layer the prosciutto and cheese. Carefully roll the meat jelly-roll fashion, making it as firm as possible. Cut the log in half crosswise, sealing the ends thoroughly with the meat to keep the cheese from oozing out during cooking. Dust the outside with flour.

In a frying pan, large enough to hold both rolls, heat the olive oil in a skillt. Add the rosemary and brown meat on all sides, turning carefully. When the meat is brown, remove from pan and discard as mush oil as possible. Pour half the wine and stock over the brown rolls, heat to medium-low, cover pan and cook 15 minutes. (If liquid evaporates, add a little water to the pan.)

Remove cover, turn meat rolls over and pour remaining wine and stock over them, cover again, cook an additional 15 minutes. Transfer the meat rolls to a cutting board. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup water to pan juices. Cook down, scraping any brown bits, until you have 2-3 tbsp meat glaze. Strain to remove rosemary leaves. Let rolls cool to room temperature, then slice as thinly as possible. Serve the meat glaze over meat slices. Serves 4-8