Arancini al Forno
Arancini al Forno are golden, baked rice balls bursting with seasoned beef, marinara, and molten cheese. All the flavor and crunch, none of the grease! 12-14 rice balls.
Ingredients
Rice:
- 7 cups chicken broth, or as needed, warmed in saucepan
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 cup minced yellow onion
- 2½ cups short-grained rice, Arborio
- ¾ cups dry white wine
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 1 egg yolk
Breading:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp. heavy cream, or water
- 3 cups panko bread crumbs
Filling:
- 12 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 cup Meat Ragù, drained of excess liquid
Ragu:
- 1 lb. beef top round roast, fat removed, coarsely chopped
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin, silver skin & fat removed, coarsely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 4 cups San Marzano tomatoes, or roasted tomatoes from garden: tomatoes, garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil & chopped basil leaves roasted @ 400°for 45 minutes.
- ½ cup tomato paste
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Instructions
The rice:
- Heat the chicken broth over low heat; keep warm.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over low heat. Add the onion and sweat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and toast lightly without letting the rice or onion take on any color. Add the wine and cook until almost dry. Add some of the broth a little at a time, making sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add more broth as it is absorbed. Cook the rice a little longer than usual so that it is thick and quite sticky, about 25 minutes.
- Remove rice from heat and add Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir vigorously. Let it cool slightly, then taste, season with salt and pepper, and incorporate the egg yolk, combining it well. Let rice cool.
Breading ingredients station:
- Put flour in a shallow bowl; beat eggs with cream/water in second bowl; put bread crumbs in third bowl.
Form rice balls:
- Flatten ball into thick pancake. Insert 1 piece of mozzarella and some of the meat. Pinch the rice back into the ball shape to enclose the filling. (about 1½ – 2 inches in diameter).Dip the rice balls into the flour, then the egg wash, and finally the bread crumbs.
Fry the rice balls:
- Fry the risotto balls until they are golden and crisp on the outside and heated through, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with Ragù sauce.
For the Ragù (meat sauce):
- Season meats with salt and place in 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes (long enough for meat to lose raw color). Add the onion, garlic, basil and bay leaves, stirring to cook the onion evenly (about 5 minutes). Add the wine. Stir to release any of drippings that are sticking to the pan. Let the wine cook down until it has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes. Stir well and bring sauce to a very gentle simmer for 3 to 4 hours, partially cover the pot, stirring occasionally, and adding water if the sauce seems too thick as it cooks. The finished sauce should be a deep, rich red color.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 600kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 1247mg, Potassium: 820mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 847IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 351mg, Iron: 5mg