Let’s take an imaginary journey to Lombardy and prepare together the Mondeghili, the traditional Milanese meatballs.
Rich in flavor and very easy to prepare, the Milanese Mondeghili are made with leftover boiled meat, Bologna mortadella, and grated Grana.
It was the Spanish who taught this recipe to the Lombards many years ago; in Spain, they are called albondigas, giving life to a dish of humble and rural tradition.
Every family in Lombardy has its own well-guarded recipe with small variations. In fact, walking around Milan, you will find some make them round and flat and others elongated, but the base always remains boiled meat and Bologna mortadella.
Do you want to prepare them with me? Let’s immediately discover how to make the Mondeghili, the traditional Milanese meatballs!!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Mondeghili, the Traditional Milanese Meatballs
- 10.6 oz beef brisket (or beef flank)
- 3.5 oz Bologna mortadella
- 1 egg
- 3.5 oz stale bread (crumb only)
- 1.4 oz grated Grana Padano
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- 2 pinches salt
- 2 pinches black pepper
- to taste breadcrumbs
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- to taste milk (for soaking the stale bread)
- 8.8 oz butter
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Tools
- 1 Food Processor
Preparation Mondeghili, the Traditional Milanese Meatballs
To prepare the Milanese Mondeghili, first soak the bread crumbs without the crust in some milk.
If you have leftover boiled meat, cut it into pieces and place it in the food processor bowl.
Otherwise, if you have just prepared it, drain it from the broth, cut it, and insert it into the food processor.
Add the soaked and squeezed bread crumbs, grated cheese, and mortadella cut into large pieces to the meat.
Blend everything very well, then pour the mixture into a bowl, incorporate the egg, salt, and pepper.
Season with fresh chopped parsley and grated nutmeg, grate the lemon zest and incorporate it into the mixture of the Milanese Mondeghili.
Mix the mixture with your hands until you have a soft and homogeneous mixture, take about 1.4 oz of the mixture and form the mondeghili.
Proceed as with a normal meatball, then shape them round in your hands, flatten them slightly or form them elongated.
Pass the Milanese mondeghili in breadcrumbs and meanwhile melt the butter in a small saucepan.
When all the Mondeghili, the traditional Milanese meatballs, are ready, fry them in butter, adding a few at a time.
Turn them as soon as they are golden on one side, making them golden on the other side as well, drain them on paper towels and serve immediately while still very hot.
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How to Store Mondeghili, the Traditional Milanese Meatballs
You can store them in the fridge well closed in an airtight container for 2 days.
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