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1
Soak the stale bread in the milk for 10 minutes, then squeeze it firmly and thoroughly dry. Place the beef and pork mince in a bowl at a ratio of 60 % beef to 40 % pork. Add the squeezed bread, beaten eggs, grated Parmigiano, pine nuts, drained sultanas, and chopped parsley. Mix until just combined — do not overwork. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. It is ready when it holds its shape when pressed and feels firm to the touch.
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2
With damp hands, shape the mixture into balls the size of a golf ball, compact and even. Lay them on a tray as they are formed. They should feel dense and smooth, with no cracks at the surface.
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3
Pour enough olive oil into a wide frying pan to come 1 cm up the sides and set over a medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the polpette in a single uncrowded layer. Fry, turning methodically, until every surface carries a deep mahogany crust. This is where the dish lives or dies: the crust must be fully set and resistant to pressure before the polpette go anywhere near the ragù — if it gives under a gentle prod, fry on. Remove and drain briefly.
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4
Lower the crusted polpette into the simmering Sunday ragù. The sauce should be liquid enough to half-submerge them. Maintain a steady, gentle simmer — not a rolling boil — for a minimum of 45 minutes, turning the polpette once at the midpoint. They are done when they yield no resistance to a skewer and the surrounding ragù is visibly richer and deeper in colour than before they were added.