Stewed meatballs

A classic Italian recipe (this version from Marina Melegari) which we pair with a Nizza Riserva Ago 2017 La Gironda.

Ingredients for 4 people:

600g ground meat (mixed beef and pork, proportions as desired), 250g grated Parmigiano Reggiano, 200g breadcrumbs, 200g tomato sauce, 1 l sunflower seed oil, 1 egg, 1 potato, 1 shallot, extra-virgin olive oil, nutmeg, parsley and salt as desired.

Directions:

Wash, peel and boil the potato. Drain and mash when cooked. Use a bowl to mix together the ground meat, egg, potato, Parmigiano Reggiano, 150g of breadcrumbs, salt, parsley and nutmeg.

Use the mix to create flattened meatballs. Bread the meatballs in the remaining breadcrumbs and then fry them in sunflower seed oil until they are golden brown (about 3-4 minutes) , turning them over to ensure they are fried on all sides. Place the meatballs on paper towels when they are done to absorb any excess oil.

Sauté the shallot in a trickle of EVOO then add the tomato sauce and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle over some chopped parsley, cover and cook at a low heat. When the sauce is halfway cooked, add the meatballs and finish cooking.

Wine to pair:

(by Stefania Vinciguerra)

Nizza Riserva Ago 2017 La Gironda

Bright purple color. Very beautiful and captivating nose, classic and varietal, with fruity and floral aromas, a hint of tobacco and sweet spices. Powerful, delicious and charming palate, flavorsome length and intense finish. Elegant. Great wine.

Production area: Commune of Nizza Monferrato Località Bricco. Altitude of the vineyards 260-290 metres a.s.l., south – southwest exposure, hilly lay of the land. Type of soil: sandy marls and clay. For the Nizza Riserva only the best grapes from the top of the hill and the best exposure are taken.

Grape variety: 100% Barbera, 5,000 vine stock per hectare and an average yield per hectare of only 35 hectoliters. 

Harvest: the completely ripe grapes were picked in the end of September 2017 and placed in crates weighing 18 Kg each.

Vinification: Pied de cuve the day before harvest to activate the fermentation, using autochthonous yeasts produced from Barbera grapes. Destalking and soft pressing of grapes. Fermentation in stainless-steel, temperature-controlled vats at a temperature of 26-28 °C for 10 days. The wine is drawn off and the first decanting occurs 12 days afterwards. After the second decanting, the wine is stored in stainless-steel vats, where the malolactic fermentation takes place.  The wine stays in stainless-steel vats for a while and then it’s put to age for 18-24 months in French oak tonneaux of 500 l and part also in barrels of 225 l. When the aging is perfect (it could be a little bit different every year, according to the characteristics of each vintage, but it’s usually minimum 18 months), the Barbera coming from the different tonneaux and the few barrels are blended in the stainless-steel vats again and then bottled. The bottled wine is left to refine in the cellar for 18-24 months.

Serving temperature: 16-18°C.

Suggested food pairing: the wine’s structure allows the most ambitious pairings. Rich and succulent first courses, important main courses of red meat roasts, boiled meat, braised meat, lamb, wild fowl and game. Perfect the pairing with prestigious steaks, such as Fassona or a nice juicy T-Bone, or delicious braised “Bue Grasso” (fattened ox meat).

THIS RECIPE IS OFFERED BY LA GIRONDA

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