Fried Pork & Rice Balls + Tuesday Tastings #11

link party at the bottom of post


Feeling nostalgic:
I remember as a kid, my grandmother making, what I thought, was the strangest food.  I wish, I could have appreciated those foods then, the way that I do now.  My grandmother doesn't speak English very well.  She came here, on a boat, with a baby in tow, not knowing a word of the English language.  She learned the little bit of English she speaks by watching T.V.  Anyway, the reason I'm telling you this, is that the one thing she knew over here was how to cook.  And I mean, good, authentic Italian food.  In a round about way, I'm trying to explain, that there are certain foods from my childhood, and I'm sure everyone's childhood that bring comfort.

I remember these little balls of fried meat that she used to make.  Looking back, I think it was basically a flattened, fried meatball with some rice in the mix but it was HEAVENLY.  I haven't been able to get these things out of my mind for days.  This is simple. This is good. This is simply good food.

This week, I'm under a tremendous amount of stress and over the weekend I was craving some comfort by way of food.  My husband was out, the kids were in bed so I decided to give remaking these a try.  I did not have some of the ingredients that I believe to be in her recipe so here was my best shot at a remake with what I had on hand.  I have to say, they were pretty damn good.


Fried Pork & Rice Balls (I just couldn't come up with a better name that described what they are)

Ingredients:

¼ lb ground pork (any ground meat would work), browned, drained and cooled

1 C breadcrumbs, divided
2 eggs
1 C prepared rice, day old is best. Make at least a few hours before.
2 T parsley, fresh, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
¼ C parmesan cheese, grated
1 C canola oil
Marina sauce for dipping

Directions:
 

In a bowl combine pork, eggs, ½ C breadcrumbs, rice, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder & parmesan cheese.

Form into balls.  They will be delicate so be careful.

Place remaining ½ C breadcrumbs on plate.  Roll each rice ball in the crumbs to coat.

Heat oil in a skillet or fry pan over medium/high heat.  To test temperature of oil, drop in a breadcrumb to make sure it sizzles. Add balls a few at a time, do not over crowd the pan.  Work in batches.  Cook about 3 minutes.  Flip balls over using a slotted spoon.  I like to press down a bit at this point to make a bit flatter, with the back of the spoon (see photo below). Continue cooking an additional 3 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towels.  Immediately, season with a sprinkle of salt.  Continue with remaining balls.

Garnish with a bit of chopped parsley and serve with a bowl of warm marinara for dipping.

 



I'm going to keep it simple this week.  Check out the features from last week and link up your favorite recipe, project or whatever it is you've been working on.  Don't forget ALL entries are pinned onto the Tuesday Tastings Pinterest Board. I also share the features on Google+ and Facebook. That means EXPOSURE, EXPOSURE AND MORE EXPOSURE. 

FEATURES:

 

 

1. Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches by Coffee With Us 3

2. Cinnamon Apple Sticks by Season of Sweets



 

Note: By submitting a recipe/photo, you are giving me permission to use the photo for features and social media.

Here we go...