1 pound long grain rice
1 cup imported grated romano
1 pound Claro’s seasoned bread crumbs
1 cube butter or margarine
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
Filling
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons sugar
salad oil (for frying)
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
Filling instructions: Saute onions and ground beef. Cook until browned. Add rest of filling ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. After cooked, drain off excess juice.
Prepare the rice: Buy very cheap rice. Do not rinse before cooking or the rice will not hold together for balls. Cook it in rice cooker with the ratio of one part rice to two parts water. After the rice is cooked, add butter and romano. Don’t be skimpy with the Romano cheese because it helps hold the balls together. Allow to cool.
Put the balls together: Put a heaping serving spoon of rice in the palm of your hand. Poke a hole and fill it with some of the meat mixture. Put another spoon of rice on top. Form it into a ball with your hands. Dip the ball in egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Make all of the balls ahead, then refrigerate or freeze them until
ready to fry. Fry in about 1″ of salad oil until golden.
