Romanian meatballs (Chiftele)

Step 1

Heat the tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and sauté until tender. Add the grated potato and cook for a few minutes until it becomes tender. Let this cool.

Step 2

In a large bowl, add the onion/potato mixture, ground pork, eggs and breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, add the chopped parsley, chopped dill and mix well.

Step 3

Form the meat mixture into about 30 meatballs or small patties. They don’t need to be perfect, but they should all be about the same size and shape for even cooking.

Step 4

Heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Then add the meatballs and cook them for about 6 to 8 minutes turning them every few minutes until they are brown on all sides. Then transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate. You most likely need to fry them in batches so you don’t crowd your pan.

Step 5

Serve over mashed potatoes with a tossed salad.