Simple Romanian meatballs

Name: Simple Romanian meatballs
Ingredients: 4 slices white bread (120 g); 150 ml water; 5 medium potatoes (750 g); 1 head garlic (50 g); 1 kg ground beef and pork; 3 eggs; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 250 ml oil

Diverse - Simple Romanian meatballs by Steliana N. - Recipia

A whole head of garlic goes into these simple Romanian meatballs, along with soaked white bread and finely grated potatoes. Beef and pork, eggs, and potatoes make for a soft center, with a fine texture from the potato. Frying in oil browns the outside and lets the garlic come through clearly in every bite. For the ground meat, I prefer a mix with a little fat, not a very lean one. Preparation: 25 minutes. Cooking: 43 minutes. Rest: 5 minutes. Total time: 73 minutes. Servings: 4. About 1040 kcal and 53 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

4 slices white bread (120 g)
150 ml water
5 medium potatoes (750 g)
1 head garlic (50 g)
1 kg ground beef and pork
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
250 ml oil

Preparation

1. Tear the bread into pieces and leave it in 150 ml water for 5 minutes. Squeeze it well, then discard the remaining water. 2. Peel the potatoes and grate them using the fine holes of a grater. Squeeze them well. Peel the garlic and put it through a garlic press. 3. Put the meat, squeezed bread, potatoes, and garlic in a bowl. Add the eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Knead until evenly combined. 4. Shape into 20 equal meatballs, about 2 cm thick. Heat 250 ml oil in a roomy frying pan over medium heat for 3 minutes, until it shimmers on the surface. 5. Fry the meatballs in 4 batches of 5, for 5 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through in the center. Transfer them to paper towels.

Notes

For a gluten-free version, replace the bread with 4 slices of gluten-free bread; keep the eggs in the mixture. The cooked meatballs keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be reheated in a frying pan over low heat until hot in the center. I serve them with cabbage salad, which goes well with fried food. I take my time kneading, and keep going until the bread and potato are evenly spread through the meat. I choose a beef and pork mix with a little visible fat in the mince; very lean meat can make the meatballs denser. If I double the quantity, I fry them in two rounds so the pan doesn't cool down between batches. After so many rounds beside the oil, the gallbladder joke doesn't seem quite so random anymore.