Fried meatballs or vrasciole in the Lametino dialect, or purpetti, fried delights made with a mixture of minced meat, stale bread soaked in cold water, garlic, parsley, salt, eggs, and a mix of grated cheeses, Grana and Calabrian pecorino.
There is no celebration without a fried meatball; the feast cannot begin without a couple of trays full of fried meatballs, which can even be a bit different with the addition of nduja in the mix. We are Calabrians, we do not miss any opportunity to savor them, and how wonderful it is to prepare them and take them to our picnics, touring monuments, with snack breaks at every hour, grabbing a meatball on the go, even at the beach. It is known that the sea brings a lion’s appetite, and the fried meatball is always ready to be bitten. Here is my recipe for perfect and super tasty meatballs, with all my little tips.
Also try the meatballs in sauce.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Calabrian Meatballs or Vrasciole
- 1.1 lbs Beef (minced)
- 2 slices Stale bread (homemade)
- 2 Eggs
- as needed Parsley
- as needed Black pepper
- 1 clove Garlic
- as needed Salt
- Pecorino
- as needed Grana Padano
- as needed Seed oil
- Provola as desired for filling
Preparation of Calabrian Meatballs or Vrasciole
Let’s immediately prepare the meatball mixture. After soaking the stale bread in cold water in advance, we squeeze it and put it in a bowl, about 7 oz for 1.1 lbs of meat. Discard the hard parts of the bread. Add the meat, eggs, chopped parsley, cheese mix, salt, and pepper. Sometimes I omit the garlic, as even finely chopped, it can be too strong for many guests, but true meatballs as we make them in Calabria have at least one clove of garlic minced with a garlic press. If you do not want to add it to the mixture, you can place it in the oil during cooking, and I’ll tell you how.
With our hands, we prepare the mixture, working it until it becomes uniform. Heat a generous amount of oil in a large pan, and as we form the meatballs, or as they are called here in Calabria, vrasciole, either elongated or round in shape, we place them in the hot oil. The size of the meatball varies depending on its use, small as a hazelnut to put in baked pasta or serve with an aperitif, or large for an appetizer or main course. If you want to make them more indulgent, you can fill them with a bit of provola cheese.
Let the meatballs brown on both sides, keeping the pan on high heat so the meatballs do not absorb oil, and ensure you only add them to hot oil so a crust forms immediately, preventing oil absorption. With the meatballs already in the hot oil, add a clove of garlic with its skin on to impart flavor without overwhelming.
Turn the meatballs multiple times to avoid burning and ensure they cook evenly inside, which takes just a few minutes. Once done, let them drain on absorbent paper. Transfer to a serving plate before serving.
The meat vrasciole, or fried meatballs, are a staple in Calabrian cuisine, served as both appetizers and main courses. I love them with a fresh tomato salad dressed with oil, salt, oregano, and garlic, the perfect meal. As I mentioned earlier, fried meatballs are also part of a typical baked pasta sauce, whether it be lasagna or short pasta, famously the Calabrian lasagna, for which I will soon prepare the recipe, and the mbruscinata pasta, which I adore with the small meatballs.
