Traditionally made in the Friulian Dolomites, of ground mutton or goat meat mixed with venison and made into large meatballs with salt, pepper, red wine and mountain herbs, rolled in polenta, and then smoked over several days to preserve it. Afterwards, it would get quite hard: traditionally, it would be eaten in a boiled polenta broth as a main course.
Today pork and lard are added to give it a gentler taste.
The Pitina della Val Tramontina is in the Slow Food Presidium.
Image by Protramonti, Creative Commons License