Albóndigas
Cuisines
Cooking Instructions
Cooking: 35 minutes
Notes:
The sofrito base relies on the quality of your tomatoes; using ripe, fresh tomatoes that you grate yourself ensures a much brighter, more authentic flavour than using canned varieties.
Cooking the meatballs in batches prevents the skillet from overcrowding, ensuring they brown evenly and develop a appetising golden crust rather than steaming in their own juices.
If you find the sauce is becoming too dry during the final simmering stage, add a small splash of water to maintain the desired consistency while allowing the meatballs to cook through.
Garnish generously with freshly chopped parsley just before serving to add a bright, herbaceous lift that perfectly cuts through the rich, savoury depths of the tomato-based sauce.
Make Meatballs
Combine breadcrumbs with milk in a large bowl and leave to rest, then mix in the ground beef, ground pork, egg, diced onion, minced garlic, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly incorporated.
Shape Meatballs
Scoop the mixture using a tablespoon and roll between your palms to form even meatballs, each approximately 2.5 cm in size.
Brown Meatballs
Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meatballs in batches for 4 to 6 minutes until golden, then set aside on a plate.
Prepare Sofrito Sauce
In the same skillet, sauté the onion in a splash of oil until brown, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, then incorporate the grated tomato and tomato paste.
Simmer and Serve
Add a sprig of rosemary to the sauce, reduce heat to a simmer until thickened, remove the rosemary, add the meatballs, simmer for 5 minutes, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot.
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Ingredients
| Fresh Breadcrumbs | 60g |
| Milk | 60ml |
| Lean Ground Beef | 225g |
| Ground Pork | 225g |
| Egg | 1 |
| Yellow Onion | ¼ |
| Garlic | 2 cloves |
| Fresh Parsley | 2 tbsp |
| Dried Oregano | 1 tbsp |
| Ground Cumin | 1 tsp |
| Garlic Powder | 1 tsp |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 3 tbsp |
| Ripe Tomatoes | 4 |
| Yellow Onions | 2 |
| Garlic | 3 cloves |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 2 tbsp |
| Tomato Paste | 120ml |
