They look very complicated to prepare. Outside, there is meat, but inside, there is a boiled egg. In reality, though, assembling everything is very simple!
The dough is made as you would for a classic mixture of meatballs. Make them with minced meat, eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and breadcrumbs. Then inside, you can place a boiled egg or even other sauces or veggies!
Recipe for Stuffed Meatballs
First, prepare hardboiled eggs. Simply dip the eggs in a saucepan of cold water and bring to a boil. Let the eggs cook for about nine minutes. Then drain them and put them under running cold water to stop them from cooking further. Peel them gently and use them to stuff the meatballs.
The meatball mixture is prepared by mixing 1 lb of mixed minced meat (veal and pork), a large whole egg, two tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, and if you like, a crushed clove of garlic reduced to a cream.
Add the breadcrumbs slowly – just enough to reach the right consistency.
Then take some meat mixture and cover a whole boiled egg.
Once the meatball is ready, first dip it in the flour, then in the beaten egg and finally, in the breadcrumbs for a golden, crunchy crust that won't break as it cooks.
Fry the meatballs in boiling oil for a few minutes and then drain them on a plate lined with paper towels. Stuffed meatballs are also good cooked in the oven at 400° F for about 20 minutes, but they will be a little drier.
More stuffing for meatballs
In addition to boiled eggs, you can add vegetables such as peas, zucchini or potatoes. Or you can make them into a mixture or a cream that acts as the filling inside the meatball.
How do you do it, exactly? Put the meat mixture in the palm of your hand and flatten it. Then fill it! Put a spoonful of vegetable cream followed by the boiled egg in the middle. Close it, adding more meat if necessary. Then bread the meatball as required in the previous recipe.
A soft, cheesy center
An alternative to the boiled egg is cheese! Choose cheese with a soft texture such as fontina, taleggio or even scamorza cheese so that it melts as it cooks, creating a warm and soft filling that children always love!