Meatballs in lemon leaves are tasty meatballs cooked between two lemon leaves, absorbing their aroma.
They are flavored inside with cheese, eggs, and the typical aromas of Sicilian cuisine.
The very soft mixture and short cooking time ensure extraordinary tenderness.
In Sicily, they are often prepared for barbecues with friends and family, to be enjoyed hot off the grill.
Follow my recipe to discover a tasty preparation with a characteristic appearance given by the presence of lemon leaves.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 539.75 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 9.30 (g) of which sugars 0.85 (g)
- Proteins 47.36 (g)
- Fat 34.02 (g) of which saturated 14.92 (g)of which unsaturated 14.45 (g)
- Fibers 0.66 (g)
- Sodium 823.01 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 175 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs beef (not too lean)
- 1/3 cup Grana Padano DOP (grated)
- 1/4 cup pecorino (grated)
- 1 tbsp breadcrumbs (dry soaked with three tablespoons of water)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 eggs
- to taste parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pinch salt (optional)
- 30 leaves lemon
Tools
- Grill Pan steel or cast iron
Preparation
Get lemon leaves as fresh as possible, wash them using a sponge, and gently dry them with a cloth.
In a bowl combine the minced meat, breadcrumbs soaked with water, Grana Padano, pecorino, a mixture of parsley and garlic (remove the core of the garlic for easier digestion if desired), extra virgin olive oil, the 4 eggs, and a pinch of salt (optional).
Knead until you obtain a homogeneous and very soft mixture.
Place a bit of meat on the greener side of the leaf, equivalent to a small meatball, and press trying not to go beyond the edges of the leaf.The thickness should just exceed half a centimeter (about 1/4 inch).
Cover with another leaf, again facing the greener side towards the meat.
You should get about 15 meatballs.
When all are ready, grill them on a preheated grill pan.
Ideally, they should be grilled over coals, but a great solution is to cook them normally on the home stove, using a steel or cast iron grill pan.
It’s not necessary to use a non-stick pan, as the leaves will prevent the meat from sticking.
Flip halfway through the cooking using a spatula and fork.Cook on moderate heat for the minimum time needed to have a cooked meatball that still retains its juiciness.
To this end, it may be helpful to lift the top leaf and stop cooking when no more blood surfaces or appears at the sides.
To obtain soft meatballs, it is very important not to choose meat that is too lean, never add breadcrumbs that have not been previously hydrated with water, and finally, it is important not to overcook the meatballs, as this would make them irreparably dry.
Serve immediately after roasting, drizzling with extra virgin olive oil and a splash of lemon juice.
Storage
Once cooled, store in the fridge, well covered, for a couple of days. Remove the lemon leaves as they would give a slightly bitter taste over time.
Once cooled, store in the fridge, well covered, for a couple of days. Remove the lemon leaves as they would give a slightly bitter taste over time.
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