Polpette all'Agrodolce
Sugo della Domenica: The Sacred Sunday Dinner
She rolls the pork, folds in pine nuts, and drops it where the hot oil hisses. True Sicilian Sunday sauce leans on an ancient Arab trick: agrodolce. It's the alchemy of sweet and sour, a late-stage splash of red wine vinegar and sugar that cuts straight through the richness of the meat. To absorb that sauce, toss the dusty store-bought breadcrumbs. Milk-soaked stale bread is the only way to achieve the melt-in-the-mouth tenderness so soft she can portion them with the side of a wooden spoon. Drop the heat, cover the heavy Dutch oven, and let the vinegar do its work.
Ingredients
- stale white bread3 cup
- whole milk3/4 cup
- meatloaf mix1 lb
- egg1 large
- Pecorino Romano cheese1/2 cup
- flat-leaf parsley1/4 cup
- pine nuts3 tbsp
- raisins3 tbsp
- garlic1 small clove
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- olive oil1/4 cup
- extra-virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- yellow onion1/2 med
- crushed tomatoes28 oz
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- white wine vinegar1/3 cup
- granulated sugar3 tbsp
Method
- 01
Soak the torn bread in milk for ten minutes until fully saturated.
Squeeze the bread completely dry with your hands, discarding the leftover milk, to create a starchy paste that guarantees tender meatballs.
- 02
Gently mix the soaked bread with the meat, egg, cheese, parsley, pine nuts, raisins, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Use your hands but handle the meat with respect; overworking it will undo the tenderness you just built.
- 03
Roll the mixture into thick, golf-ball-sized disks and fry in a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat.
Sear them for three to four minutes per side until a deep golden-brown crust forms, then move them to a paper towel. Wipe out the excess oil from the skillet.
- 04
Sauté the diced onion in extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat until soft, then add the crushed tomatoes and salt.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
- 05
Nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce, cover partially, and simmer on medium-low for thirty minutes.
- 06
Whisk the vinegar and sugar together, pour evenly over the simmering skillet, and cook uncovered for exactly five minutes.
Do not boil this mixture for the entire cooking time. Adding it at the very end flashes off the harsh alcohol while leaving the bright, tangy-sweet acidity perfectly intact.
- 07
Remove from the heat and let the pan sit for at least fifteen minutes before serving.
This brief rest allows the sweet and sour flavors to lock into the meat. Serve warm with a loaf of crusty bread.
From Cook Italian in America.