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    Catalan-Style Pork and Veal Meatballs with Almond Picada Sauce

    clock-icon60 minutes
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    Pixicook editorial team

    A delightful Catalan dish featuring pork and veal meatballs, served with a rich almond picada sauce.

    Ingredients for Catalan-Style Pork and Veal Meatballs with Almond Picada Sauce

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    serves
    5 peoplechevron
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    Large egg

    each

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    Ground Pork

    0 lb

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    Ground Veal

    0 lb

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    Firm White Sandwich Bread, crusts removed, soaked in water, and squeezed dry

    0 oz

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    Small Onion, finely chopped

    each

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    Garlic Clove, crushed to a paste

    each

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    Flat Leaf Parsley, finely chopped

    tablespoons

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    Salt

    to taste

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    Black Pepper

    to taste

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    Flour

    for dredging

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    Olive Oil

    for frying

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    Sunflower Oil

    for frying

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    Chicken Stock

    cups

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    Dry White Wine

    cups

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    Saffron Threads

    pinches

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    Lemon Zest, grated

    each

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    Sugar

    teaspoons

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    Firm White Sandwich Bread, crust removed

    slices

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    Blanched Whole Almonds

    cups

    Substitute chevron-down

    Garlic Clove

    each

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    Olive Oil

    tablespoons

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    How to Make Catalan-Style Pork and Veal Meatballs with Almond Picada Sauce

    1. Prepare Meatball Mixture

    Lightly beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the ground pork, ground veal, soaked and squeezed-dry bread, finely chopped onion, garlic paste, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together until well combined.

    2. Shape and Coat Meatballs

    Shape the mixture into balls about the size of large walnuts. Roll each meatball in flour to coat them lightly.

    3. Fry Meatballs

    Heat enough olive or sunflower oil in a wide skillet to cover the bottom. When the oil is hot enough that a small piece of bread sizzles when thrown in, fry the meatballs in batches until they are browned on all sides. Once browned, transfer the meatballs to paper towels to drain any excess oil.

    4. Prepare Almond Sauce

    Bring the chicken stock and white wine to a boil in a wide skillet. Add the saffron threads, grated lemon zest, salt, pepper, and sugar.

    5. Make Picada

    In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and fry the slice of bread, the almonds, and the garlic cloves until golden. Once fried, grind these ingredients into a paste using a mortar or food processor.

    6. Combine Sauce and Meatballs

    Stir the picada into the simmering sauce and then add the browned meatballs. Cover the skillet and let everything simmer together for about 20 minutes.

    7. Serve Meatballs

    Serve the meatballs hot, infused with the rich flavors of the almond picada sauce.

    Variations

    Pesto Sauce

    A Ligurian sauce traditionally made with basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil, which can be used with pasta, chicken, or fish.

    Italian Meatballs

    Swap the pork and veal for a combination of beef and pork, add Parmesan cheese, garlic, Italian herbs, and use in a classic tomato sauce.

    Salsa Verde with Nuts

    Add chopped nuts to a classic salsa verde made with parsley, capers, anchovies, and olive oil for a twist on the traditional sauce, great with grilled meats.

    Romescu Sauce

    A Catalan sauce made with almonds or hazelnuts, roasted red peppers, garlic, and vinegar, perfect for seafood or vegetables.

    Core Nut-Based Sauce Recipe (Picada)

    The Almond Picada Sauce is a versatile element that can be used as a template for creating other rich and flavorful nut-based sauces.


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