The first edition of The Silver Spoon (Il Cucchiaio d'argento) cookbook was published in 1950. Experts collected hundreds of traditional recipes throughout Italy, including every regional speciality, to create what has become the most successful Italian cookbook in history.

The Silver Spoon has been continually updated, adapting the recipes and techniques to our modern lifestyle without losing the principles of authentic Italian cuisine. Phaidon's Silver Spoon series continues to deliver hundreds of simple and traditional recipes. 

Recipes from an Italian Butcher: Roasting, Stewing, Braising is the latest addition to the series and shares 150 inspiring and authentic Italian recipes for meat, poultry, and game. This book is not only a collection of recipes, it is also a valuable reference on meat cuts and cooking techniques for Italian, American and British cooks, respectively, includes a full glossary of cooking terms as well as providing a selection of side dishes.

Pork loin braised in infused milk, Poussin in a thyme crust, and Milanese osso buco are just a few examples of the hundreds of tempting recipes here. Phaidon is graciously sharing the Meatballs cooked in beer sauce recipe with our members today which is what I have chosen to make for dinner tomorrow. I have leftover mashed potatoes and carrots to accompany this dish and am already looking forward to tomorrow! 

The publisher is also offering three copies of this title to our members in the US, UK, Canada and Australia in our contest below. Please remember Eat Your Book members receive 30% off Phaidon titles when using the link provided. 

Meatballs cooked in beer

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Serves: 4
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

7 oz/200 g stale bread, torn into chunks
full-fat (whole) milk, to soak
11 oz/300 g (minced) beef
11 oz/300 g sausage, removed from its casing and crumbled
2 eggs
few chives, chopped
⅔ cup (3 oz/80 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
pat (knob) of butter
3 onions, chopped
4 ¼ cups (34 fl oz/1 liter) beer
1 tablespoon tomato paste (purée)
1 sprig thyme, leaves only
salt and pepper

Instructions

Soak the bread in a little milk in a bowl for about 3 minutes, then drain. In another bowl, mix the ground (minced) beef with the crumbled sausage, eggs, drained bread, some of the chopped chives, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread the flour out on a plate. Using damp hands, shape the mixture into balls, about the size of a walnut, and roll in the flour to coat. Heat the oil and butter in a large, deep skillet (frying pan) over medium heat, add the meatballs, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. To brown the meatballs without them falling apart, shake repeatedly in the skillet so that they roll themselves in the oil and butter and brown on all sides. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Add the chopped onions to the same skillet, pour in the beer, a little at a time, and let evaporate. Add the tomato paste (purée) and thyme leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes then return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce, and cook for another 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.

Adapted from RECIPES FROM AN ITALIAN BUTCHER by The Silver Spoon Kitchen (Phaidon, $49.95 US/59.95 CAN, October 2017) 

The publisher is offering three copies of this book to EYB Members in the US, CA, AU and the UK.  One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won't be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on December 4th, 2017.