Tefteli (Russian Meatballs with Rice)

Rice is usually to blame. Raw rice won't soften during braising and makes the meatballs tough, so boil it until half-cooked and cool it first. To keep them from falling apart, add an egg as a binder and don't overwork the mince. Brown the balls before braising — the crust holds their shape.

The defining feature of tefteli is rice mixed right into the meat; the grains poke out, which is why they're called 'hedgehog' meatballs. Frikadelki are small meatballs without rice, usually for soup. Kotleti are flat, breaded, and have no rice. Tefteli are almost always braised in a gravy rather than just fried.

The classic is a blend of beef and pork — beef for flavor, pork for juiciness. All-beef tefteli come out drier, so add a little butter or more onion. Turkey and chicken work but are leaner, so be generous with the sour cream in the sauce. Either way, the keys are pre-cooked rice and not overworking the mince.

Yes. In classic tefteli the filler is rice, not breadcrumbs, so the meatballs themselves are gluten-free. Don't roll them in wheat flour before frying and don't thicken the gravy with flour — use cornstarch or just reduce the tomato and sour cream. That gives you a gluten-free, high-protein dish.

The traditional sides are mashed potatoes or buckwheat, which soak up the gravy. The sauce is built on sautéed onion and carrot with tomato paste and sour cream, thinned with water or stock to a gravy consistency. Add the sour cream over low heat and don't let it boil hard, or it curdles. Finish with chopped dill or parsley.