Canederli Dumplings

Clean the celery, carrots and one onion, then combine in a pan with 2 sprigs parsley, 2 bay leaves, ten or so peppercorns, and the flank steak; leave to simmer for 3 hours.|Remove the meat and vegetables from the broth with a slotted spoon and set aside for another recipe. Strain the broth through a fine sieve to remove any remaining pieces or impurities. Repeat this step twice more.|Remove the crust from the stale bread and soak the flesh in the milk for approximately 30 minutes without allowing it to become too soggy.|Clean and finely chop 1/2 onion, tear apart the speck and brown in a pan with 2 tbsp butter for 5 minutes.|Squeeze the bread dry and, in a terrine, combine with the onion and browned speck, 1 tsp chopped parsley and 1 tsp chives, along with the eggs, flour, a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour.|Moisten your hands so that the mixture does not adhere, then mold into 2-3 inch balls to form the dumplings. Take care to ensure that they are smooth and not cracked so that they don’t break apart during cooking.|Dredge the dumplings in the flour to help them keep their shape and prevent sticking,|then cook in salted boiling water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the broth. Remove the canederli with a slotted spoon and serve in the hot broth.