This is not traditional at all… But I feel Albondigas is like chili; everyone has their own interpretation. Here’s mine.
Recipe Supplies:
- Ground Beef (1 lbs)
- Ground Pork (1 lbs)
- Egg (1)
- Panko (1/2 cup or so)
- Beef Broth (1 carton)
- Heavy Cream (small container)
- Mint (15 leaves or so)
- Shallot (1)
- Shitake Mushrooms (2 handfuls sliced with no stems)
- Corn on the Cobb (3)
- Tomatos (4)
- Yellow Onion (1. 3/4 in sauce and 1/4 chopped and sauteed)
- Cilantro (1 bushel chopped)
- Jalapeno (2)
- Tomatillo (2)
- Garlic Cloves (10)
- Green Onion (1 bushel)
- Avocado (1 sliced)
- Lime (2)
- Black Beans (1 can)
- Kerry Gold Butter
- EVOO
- Parmigiano
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Cummin
- Thyme
- Cayenne
- Salt and Pepper
Start with the Sauce:
Put the tomatoes (cut into four), onion (cut into four), garlic cloves, jalapenos, and tomatillos into a large cast iron pan and broil in the oven for 10-15 minutes. You want to soften up the veggies and get a good char on them. Rotate a few times.
Remove the cooked veggies and blend them all together. Be careful not to burn yourself. Return the blended mix to your pan and continue to cook on the stovetop on low. Once the heat of the pan has come down, add some cream to your sauce and mix in. Then season your sauce with the following to taste:
- Salt and pepper
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Thyme
- Cumin
While the sauce is on low, you can make your meatballs. Just remember to stir the sauce occasionally.
Making the Meatballs:
Preheat your oven to 350.
Mince your scallion and mint. Then mix them with ground beef and pork, egg, panko, and season generously with salt and pepper, onion and garlic powder, and cumin. Form all the meatballs in your hands. Make sure they are pretty consistent in size. You should end up with about 14ish. Put them on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil and cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside when done. They will not be fully cooked, but that’s okay, they are going to cook more later in our soup.
Combining it all to make the soup:
Use a Dutch oven and saute your mushrooms & onions in EVOO and some butter. It should take about 5-10 minutes.
Once they are done, add in your tomato sauce, the meatballs, and some beef broth (use your judgment on how thick you want your soup). Stir together and put the lid on… let the soup simmer on low for a while to cook down. I used this time to take a shower… and I am not the fastest shower taker, so let’s say 20 minutes or so.
Once it has cooked down for a bit, add the black beans and cut the corn kernels off the cob into the soup. Add some cream (a decent amount… maybe 1/2 cup or so) and mix everything together. Give it a few minutes, and then add the cilantro. Also, grade some Parmigiano cheese to add. Not a ton, just a little to thicken it up. Now, it is time to start tasting the soup so that you can season it.
Season to taste with the usual suspects… Salt and pepper, onion and garlic powder, and cayenne (depending on how much of a kick you want). Once you get to a desired taste, leave it on low and let all the flavors blend together for like 15-20 minutes.
Serve with freshly squeezed lime and avocado slices! Oh… and more cilantro if you have any left.
