Neapolitan Meatballs: Polpette alla Napoletana

Ingredients

• 3 cups day-old bread cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3  eggs beaten
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1.3 pounds ground beef 
• 0.3 cup olive oil extra-virgin
• 1 bunch parsley italian finely chopped
• 0.8 cup pecorino grated
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper 
• 0.3 cup pinenuts toasted for 2 minutes in a 400 degree f oven
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan

Directions

1. In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in enough water to cover.
2. Remove the bread cubes and squeeze by hand to wring excess moisture.
3. In a large bowl, combine the bread, beef, eggs, garlic, pecorino, parsley, pine nuts, salt, and pepper and mix by hand to incorporate bread into meat. With wet hands, form the mixture into 12 to 15 meatballs, each of a size somewhere between a tennis ball and a golf ball.
4. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil until almost smoking.
5. Add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan, and cook until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature, note that Italians would rarely serve meatballs with pasta.