Albondigas, Spanish Meatballs

Serves 4

Albondigas or Spanish meatballs are a great tapas dish. In Spain tapas are traditional served with drinks in bars.  They are appetizers often severed in small dishes meant for sharing. Lots of little tasty tapas dishes can make up a whole meal. It is a great way of eating with friends, it is sociable and fun, for those of us who are indecisive and forever jealous of what everyone else is eating, tapas is perfect, you can have a bit of everything. 

Albondigas or Spanish meatballs are served in a tomato sauce, like most tapas dishes Albondigas is very simple, but is full of flavours and tastes great.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 225g minced pork
• 225g lean minced beef
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs, toasted
• 1 tsp dried Oregano
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• Oil, for frying

For the sauce

• 1 red chilli
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 175ml beef stock
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes, in juice
• 7 tbsp passata, passata is similar to tomato puree

Method

1. Mix the onion, pork, beef, breadcrumbs, cumin, oregano salt, and pepper and mix together.
2. Add the egg, and mix thoroughly.
3. Roll the mixture into 4cm balls.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan, and fry the meat balls for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned.

For sauce

1. Put the oil, chilli, onion, garlic, stock, tomatoes, passata, salt and pepper into a pan and simmer for 5 minutes, then pour in the stock.
2. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook until warm.
3. Serve in bowls, to share.