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Make the risotto:
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Heat the broth, add the saffron to it and keep it warm in a pot next to the pot in which you want to make your risotto.
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In a medium size heavy pot, heat the olive oil and butter.
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Saute the onion with a pinch of salt gently for a few minutes.
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Do not let it brown.
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Add the rice, raise the heat a little and toast the rice for a couple of minutes.
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Add a couple of ladlefuls of broth and stir the risotto.
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Add the cheese rind.
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Lower the heat a little; you do not want the mixture to boil, but just to simmer gently.
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When the rice has absorbed the broth, add two more ladlefuls.
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You can tell when to add the broth by running your spoon through the mixture.
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If the liquid immediately fills in the crevice you make, let it cook some more.
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If it remains clear, it is time to add more broth (see photo in the related blog post for an example).
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Keep adding broth and stirring, repeating until rice is tender, about 25 minutes.
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You may not use all the broth.
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If you dont have enough broth, continue with plain water.
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If you dont have a cheese rind, at this point add the grated cheese and mix.
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Pour the risotto onto a baking sheet and let cool.
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You can refrigerate it to let it cool.
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Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment or waxed paper.
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Place the egg whites in a small bowl and beat a little with a fork.
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Place the bread crumbs in a small bowl.
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Place the meat sauce into a small bowl.
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Scrape the cooled risotto into a bowl and add the whole beaten egg.
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Mound some risotto into your hand using a quantity a little smaller than the size you want the finished arancine.
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With a spoon or your hand, make an indentation in the risotto.
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Place about a tablespoon of meat sauce in the indentation, add some risotto over the top and gently mold the whole thing into a ball.
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Place the arancine onto the waxed paper.
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After they are all done, place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
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Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
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Heat about 4 inches of oil in a small pot or use a fryer if you have one.
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When the oil becomes hot enough to fry, lower the arancine one at a time into the oil with a handled strainer.
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Let fry for a few minutes, checking the color so they do not burn and gently rotating them with the strainer.
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When they are golden brown, remove with the strainer and place on paper towels to drain.
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Arancine can be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for a couple of days.
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They can also be frozen.
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Just heat them up gently in the oven.
