Clear my head
March 21, 2007 by Heather
Heather says:
I’ve been pretty sick this week and I need something to clear my head. Tomorrow I’ll be preparing a pot of Albondigas. This is my family’s version of the spicy Mexican meatball soup. The meatballs are a little tedious, but if you crank your radio or bribe your kids or spouse into assisting it goes quickly. Warning, if you don’t like cilantro, this is not the soup for you.
Meatballs:
- 2lbs lean ground beef
- 1 small can diced green chilies
- 1/2 bunch green onions - chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - minced or pressed
- 1/2 bunch cilantro - chopped
- 1/4 cup rice
- 1 egg
- salt/pepper/hot sauce to taste
Preheat oven to 400˚. Combine all ingredients by hand and roll into 1″ meatballs, bake on a cookie sheet for 10 - 12 minutes. Place on a papertowel to absorb grease. Set aside.
Broth:
- 2qts water
- 2 - 3 tablespoons beef base (or use two cans beef broth and reduce water by 1 qt)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 small can diced green chilies
- 2 cans diced tomatoes (feel free to use fresh, in season)
- 1/2 bunch green onions -chopped
- 1/2 bunch cilantro - chopped
- 1/4 cup rice
- salt/pepper/hot sauce to taste
Bring water, beef base, garlic, chilies, and tomatoes to a roiling boil. Add meatballs and rice. Reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is soft. Add cilantro, green onions, and season to taste, simmering for an additional 10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
Serve hot with fresh, warm flour tortillas.
oh my GOSH, do I love albondigas, and this recipe differs from ours enough to make it worth a try!
when we first moved to the southwest, my very NOT-mexican mom found a recipe and mistakenly added cayenne for the chili powder listed. boy was it hot! but we’ve grown to love it very spicy!
I was talking with one of my students about the history of albondigas (I don’t know it, but there are Spanish Jewish versions, which is what got us talking and I intend to investigrate it one day). I was just wishing for a recipe that was cookable in a kosher household and you have given us a delicious one. Thank you!
Mmm. Love this soup. My resident Chef puts his meatballs right in the soup to cook. He also has been known to put little chile pepins (sp) in some of the meatballs as an added “surprise.” It’s also very good with either rice or potatoes in it.
Came by way of sista smiff’s blog. Nice site
[...] - albondigas* for the adults and quesadillas for the [...]
[...] - albondigas, [...]
Yum…looks right up my alley. How lean was your beef? 90% 93%?
One other question - you’re using cooked rice in the meatballs, right? So I can use cooked brown rice?
P.S.: I bet you could use a cookie scooper to make these albondigas efficiently; that’s my trick for quickie meatballs.