Today a recipe for a main course: tender veal meatballs with lemon.
Who doesn’t like meatballs?! I think they’re one of those dishes that can always satisfy everyone, also because they can be prepared in many different ways starting from the classic meatballs in tomato sauce, moving on to legume-based meatballs or fish meatballs up to the fun couscous meatballs. In short, just let your imagination run wild.
The ones I propose today are meatballs made with ground veal and are very tender because the mixture includes boiled potatoes; they are then cooked and flavored with lemon, which gives a fresh citrus note — very, very delicious.
The lemon veal meatballs can be enjoyed at lunch, for example served before some gnocchi and for dessert a soft orange angel cake or a delicious coffee tiramisu.
Now let’s see, step by step, how to make this recipe.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: about 30 meatballs
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, All seasons
Ingredients for the lemon meatballs
- 21 oz veal (ground)
- 14 oz potatoes (peeled, cooked, boiled)
- 2 eggs
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 lemon
- 1 pinch black pepper
- to taste thyme
- to taste fine salt
- 6 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 slices lemon
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 2 sprigs thyme
Tools
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Bowl
Let’s prepare the lemon meatballs together
To make the mixture for our meatballs softer we need boiled potatoes, so put water and the washed potatoes in a pot and turn on the heat. Cook until they are tender when pierced with a fork, then drain, peel and mash them well with a fork or potato masher.
In a bowl place the ground meat, the mashed potatoes, the eggs, grated lemon zest, finely chopped garlic, a few fresh thyme leaves, salt and a grind of pepper, then mix well to combine all the ingredients and obtain a homogeneous mixture. If it turns out too soft add a little breadcrumbs. Put in the fridge for about twenty minutes.
Take a small amount of mixture, about 1.4 oz (approximately 40 g), and form meatballs by rolling between your hands. Place each meatball on a plate or work surface and continue until the mixture is used up, then quickly roll them in a little flour.
In a non-stick pan add the olive oil and the butter and let the butter melt slightly, then add the lemon slices and a sprig of thyme. Let them warm up and add the veal meatballs, shaking off any excess flour. Brown well on all sides, turning them occasionally.
Cook the meatballs well for at least 4 or 5 minutes per side, then deglaze with the white wine and let all the alcohol evaporate. Continue cooking for another three or four minutes; if necessary add a ladle of hot water.
Una Riccia recommends
Tender lemon veal meatballs often save my dinner because sometimes I prepare and shape them in advance, then keep them in the fridge and flour and cook them at dinnertime.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use only lemon for the meatballs?
Of course, these meatballs are also fantastic with other citrus fruits; I made them with grapefruit once and they were very well received.
