Bettina's Meatballs

In a bowl, tear the bread into small pieces and soak in water

Add the ground beef, garlic, lemon zest, and salt

Mix well

Divide the mixture into 4 portions

Cut each portion in half

Hold one piece in your hand and shape it into a ball

Place a piece of cheese equivalent to 2 soup spoons on top

Poke an indentation with your fingers and place the other half of the meatball on top

Press firmly to seal the edges

Repeat the process with the remaining 3 portions of the mixture

Heat a medium-sized pan with plenty of oil (about 5cm deep)

Fry one meatball at a time, allowing each side to brown slightly

Reduce heat and let cook for an additional 2 minutes, flipping constantly with a slotted spoon

Remove from the pan and place on paper towels

Serve hot

Serving suggestion: Serve with the following tomato sauce: 5 tomatoes diced, 1 onion finely chopped, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 2 soup spoons of olive oil or butter

Tightly seal the container and heat over low for 30 minutes

Remove from heat, puree in a blender, then pass through a fine-mesh sieve

Return the sauce to the pan, reheat, and serve over the hot meatballs.