Recipe

Meat Pies With Spicy Portuguese Sauce

Ingredients

Place the veal, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs, the cilantro, parsley, buttermilk, 1 egg, the garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes in a large bowl and mix quickly but thoroughly. Form the mixture into meatballs the size of a large walnut, about 2 tablespoons each.
Beat the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon of the Essence in a shallow bowl. Combine the flour and 1 teaspoon of the Essence in a shallow bowl. Combine the remaining bread crumbs with the remaining 1 teaspoon Essence in another shallow bowl.
Dip each meat pie first into the seasoned flour, then into the egg wash, letting the excess drip off, and finally into the bread crumbs, coating evenly. Flatten each ball slightly to form a patty and place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook. The balls may be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator up to 5 hours.
Add enough oil to come 1/2 inch up the sides of a large heavy skillet and heat over high heat until very hot. In batches, fry the meat patties in the oil until deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve hot with the sauce.