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X Italian Meat Dishes
Polpettone "alla Napolitana" (Beef slices stuffed with ham, stewed in tomatoes)
Originated from: Naples, Campania, Italy
Occasion: Any time
Contributed by: Taken from "Simple Italian Cookery," by Antonia Isola (Harper and Brothers, 1912)

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Ingredients

Three-quarters of a pound of lean beef
Salt and pepper
One and one-half ounces of ham, chopped up
A little piece of onion
Some parsley
Some thyme
Fresh bread crumbs
Yolk of one egg

Stewing sauce
A few raisins
Ham
Pieces of onion
Celery
Carrot
One clove
Several pieces of tomato



Directions

"Take three-quarters of a pound of lean beef without skin or bones from the rump-steak, flatten it out with a knife in a manner to widen it without tearing the meat. Salt and pepper it. Then take one and one-half ounces of ham, fat and lean, and chop it up fine with a little piece of onion, some parsley, and some thyme, then add twice its volume of fresh bread crumbs (which have been dipped in water and squeezed out). When the bread has been well mixed add the yolk of one egg and mix again well, spread this mixture all

over the surface of the beef, leveling it off with a knife.

Then sprinkle on a few raisins, and then roll up the meat like a cigar, but bigger in the middle than at the ends. Tie it up then, crosswise and lengthwise, and brown it in a saucepan with a little lard and some ham. As soon as it colors add some chopped-up pieces of onion, celery, carrot, and one clove. When these vegetables are cooked add several pieces of tomato, and let the meat simmer for about two hours, basting it now and then. When the meat is cooked

remove the string, place the polpettone on a platter, strain the sauce through a sieve, pour it over the meat,

and serve."




Notes

This recipe was taken from "Simple Italian Cookery" written by Antonia Isola (pen name for Mabel Earl McGinnis). It was published in the United States by Harper and Brothers in 1912. It is believed to be the first American cookbook that contains Italian recipes. For the complete copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org. A variety of recipes from this cookbook can also be found on this website.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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