 Polpette are meatballs and polpettone is meatloaf.
The second year I lived in Foggia a middle-aged woman attended one of my EFL classes. She twitched and blinked like a sparrow and every time I spoke to her in English she would giggle nervously: 'Che dice - what did she say?' She once pinched my cheek when leaving class, so I was not an immediate fan since I resent unsolicited physical contact. Over time though, she became a friend - possibly because she lent a tirelessly sympathetic ear to me when I broke up with my boyfriend. She also cooked incredible food. She had a propensity for oversharing and adopting stray dogs that would pee ungratefully all over her gorgeous apartment. Thinking back it was a not a healthy friendship, based on co-dependency and a transaction her food for my company. Her polpette bianche were a particular favorite. This recipe is the same as those polpette but I choose to cook it as a meatloaf since it saves time and the big slabs are more gratifying. The loaf is part steamed in wine. That and the addition of the milk-soaked breadcrumbs make for a luscious and moist loaf. Leaving it to stand before serving means the juices will seep back into the meat without it losing its shape. Serves 4 For the load itself: 1 pound ground pork 1 pound ground beef 1 egg 1/4 cup white breadcrumbs soaked in milk to form a thick porridge 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded 1 large slice of mortadella or ham, finely chopped 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper Pre-heat the oven to 400 F
1 tbsp butter 1 small glass of wine 1 loaf tin/dish foil
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