Slovenian Meatballs (Mavžlji)

Ingredients:

1 kg pig's head including the brains

150 g white bread

50 g butter

1 small onion

4 tbsp milk or cream

200 g rice

A clove of garlic

3 springs of parsley

A little pimento

Peel of lemon

A little marjoram

1 pig's caul

Cooking Instructions:

Wash the pig's head, remove the brains and wash them. Cook the head in water and save the stock. Boil the brains separately or fry them in some fat. Remove the cooked meat from the skull and chop it into small pieces; similarly chop the boiled or fried brains.

Soak the bread in water then squeeze it. Chop the onions and parsley and crush the garlic. Fry the onion in some butter and add the parsley, garlic and bread. Stir fry for a few minutes then add the milk; stir well, add the spices and allow to cool. Afterwards season with the pimento, lemon peel and marjoram. Cook the rice in the stock from the pig's head - it must be "al dente" - allow it to cool, then add it to the meat filling and salt. If the filling is too dry, stir in some stock. Thoroughly wash the pig's caul and spread it over a table. Using a tablespoon scoop the filling onto the caul, making sure that the tablespoons of filling are sufficiently distant from each other. Using a knife, cut the caul around the scoops of filling and wrap them in it to form the meatball-like mavžlji. Place them in a special tray or tin and bake in the oven.

This dish can be served hot or cold. Serve hot with sauerkraut, grated pickled turnip (sour turnip) or a salad.

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