Ingredients
1sliceday old rustic bread
3tbspwhole milk
1lbground beef
1clovegarlic
2tbspparsley,finely chopped
1egg
1tspsea salt
1cupall purpose flour
1cupspanish extra virgin olive oil
2tsppine nuts
1tbspsugar
2tbspunsalted butter
1golden delicious apple,peeled
2tbspsherry vinegar
1½cupschicken stock,or beef stock
1stickcinnamon
1tbspparsley,finely chopped
Preparation
In a small bowl, pour the milk over the bread. Use just enough milk to soften the bread, and let sit for 1 minute. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, the milk-soaked bread, garlic, parsley, and egg.
Using a spoon, mix all the ingredients together. Add the salt and continue mixing. Place the flour on a plate. Form 1-inch balls of the meat mixture (you should end up with 16 meatballs), and roll them in the flour.
Shake off any excess flour, and set the meatballs aside. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the oil reaches 350 degrees F (measured with a candy thermometer), add the meatballs in small batches.
Fry the meatballs until brown all over, about 4 minute. Set aside the meatballs aside on paper towels to drain.
In a small sauté pan, toast the pine nuts over a medium-low heat, stirring regularly to ensure they don’t burn, until they turn light brown. Remove the pine nuts from the pan and set aside.
Place a large sauté pan over low heat, add the sugar and cook until golden. Stir the butter into the sugar, and allow it to melt.
Add the apple slices and sauté until they are brown on all sides. Remove the apples and set them aside. Add the vinegar and cook until reduce by half.
Add the stock, pine nuts and cinnamon stick. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the meatballs to the sauce in the pan. Bring to the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cook for 5 minutes, moving the pan constantly to ensure that the meatballs cook evenly.
The sauce should end up being thick and syrupy. Return the apples to the pan to heat through. Sprinkle with the parsley, and serve immediately.
