Chiftele
In Romania, they efficiently condense the traditional plate of meat and potatoes into one item with these meatballs. These fried balls mix ground pork and grated potatoes and are usually served with mustard, tomato or sour cream dip, or are used as the filling for a hearty sandwich.
Chiftele
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 lbs. ground pork
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 medium potatoes, grated
2 eggs
1/2 c. breadcrumbs or panko
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. pepper or to taste
1/4 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 c. fresh dill, finely chopped
oil for frying
Preparation:
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic and sauté until tender. Add grated potato and cook until tender (just a few minutes). Let cool, then place into large bowl. Add ground pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, mixing well. Then stir in chopped parsley and chopped dill. Form into balls and flatten slightly to keep them from rolling. Heat cooking oil in large skillet and fry meatballs on all sides. If you’d prefer to bake the meatballs, heat oven to 400 ºF and bake for 30-45 minutes or until cooked completely through.
