Albondigas Estilo Mama Meatballs Like Mama Makes Recipes

MAMA'S OLD-FASHIONED ALBONDIGAS (MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• Pour water into a large stockpot over high heat. Stir in 3 cups tomato sauce, yellow onion, chicken bouillon, garlic, and 1 tablespoon dried oregano. Bring broth to a slow boil.
• Combine ground beef, eggs, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, white rice, 1/4 cup cilantro, seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and cumin in a large bowl. Squeeze mixture with your hands until thoroughly mixed.
• Scoop 1/4 cup of beef mixture and form in a ball. Lower gently into boiling broth. Repeat with remaining beef mixture.
• Stir potatoes, carrots, and celery into the broth. Cover and simmer until meatballs and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in zucchini and cabbage. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with avocado and 1/4 cup cilantro.

ALBONDIGAS

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook onion, garlic and ½ cup tomato sauce with olive oil until onion is tender. Add broth and ½ cup tomato sauce; bring to a simmer., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix ground beef, rice, egg, salt, pepper, milk, cumin, saffron, crushed crackers and remaining ½ cup tomato sauce until combined. With wet hands, form into 1-in. balls. Gently add meatballs to simmering broth; cook, stirring occasionally, 20-25 minutes. If desired, serve with tostadas and cabbage and garnish with cilantro.

LAMB MEATBALL SOUP (SOPA DE ALBONDIGAS)

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground lamb, mint, salt, pepper and egg. Using clean hands, mix until well combined. Measure 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture and roll in the palm of your hands to form a meatball. Place the formed meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You should have enough to make 16 to 18 meatballs.
• In a heavy saucepan, heat the vegetable oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the onions are softened and the tomato paste is cooked into the onions, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, corn and carrots. Saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and then add the lamb meatballs (albondigas) and the bay leaf. Score the serrano chile by finely slicing it down the middle, being careful not to fully cut it in half, and add to the pot. Lower the heat and cover. Simmer for 35 minutes.
• Using a large spoon, skim the grease off the top of the soup and discard. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

SOPA DE ALBóNDIGAS (MEXICAN MEATBALL SOUP)

Steps:

• Prepare the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, rice, mint, garlic, salt and pepper. Using your hands, gently mix until well combined. Pinch off 2-ounce portions and gently roll between your palms to form golf ball-size rounds, transferring rounds to a sheet pan. (You should have about 28 meatballs.)
• In large pot, combine the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and potato; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, oregano and cumin, and cook over medium, stirring frequently, until fragrant and tomato paste starts to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer over high.
• Once the stock begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low. Carefully add the meatballs, one by one, distributing them evenly in the pot until they're all submerged. If necessary, reduce the heat to reach a low simmer (this will keep the meatballs tender), and cook until the meatballs and rice are cooked through, about 40 minutes. (Resist the urge to stir for the first 20 minutes, otherwise you risk breaking the meatballs apart before they've firmed up.) Skim any impurities from the surface as the soup simmers.
• Season to taste with salt. Divide the soup among bowls, about four or five meatballs per portion, and set out bowls of whatever garnishes you like.