Robin: If your experience of “taco meat” so far has been pretty much limited to a seasoned ground beef mixture, you can be excused for thinking that Mexican food in general calls for a lot of ground meat. The truth is, this ingredient is not overly abundant in traditional Mexican cooking; in fact, it’s used in only a handful of dishes. Picadillo (ground meat hash) is a notable one of them, and these meatballs, known in Spanish as albóndigas, is another.
Albóndigas are very popular with Mexicans of all ages, classes, and persuasions. Though they certainly can be made with breadcrumbs, as in frequently done in several other cultures, the Mexican version is often prepared with leftover cooked rice instead—providing a delicious way to take advantage of a leftover and making the dish accessible to people with gluten intolerance.
Mexican meatballs, like their counterparts in Italy, are rarely (if ever) eaten with spaghetti; that combination seems to have been an American pairing. Two of the most “authentic” ways to eat albondigas mexicanas are in a comforting, filling soup and in a mouthwatering Mexican cooking sauce, often one made with chipotle chiles. While I am delighted to share my recipes for both of those options, do feel free to adopt albóndigas and use them in your own favorite meatball dishes, as well.
Mexican Meatballs (Albóndigas)
Ingredients
- 1 hard-cooked egg optional
- 1 pound (450 grams) lean ground beef or ground pork or use half and half
- 1 raw egg
- 1/2 cup cooked rice left over from day before is perfect
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 quarts water or beef broth for cooking
Instructions
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If using the hard-cooked egg, remove the yolk and set it aside. Cut the cooked egg white into little pieces no larger than ½-inch (1.25 cm) square.
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Place the ground meat, raw egg, cooked rice, cumin, oregano, and salt in a mixing bowl and add the hard-cooked egg yolk, if using. Mix well, first with a wooden spoon and then with your hands.
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Roll small portions of meat between your palms to form balls of about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter for soup or twice that (2 inches / 5 centimeters) for use in a sauce. If you are using the hard-cooked egg pieces, make a small piece of egg white the center of each meatball, surrounding it with meat. Continue making balls until you have used up all the meat mixture.
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Bring the water or broth to a boil. Carefully place the meatballs into the liquid. Turn down the heat and cook your albóndigas in the gently boiling liquid for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through.
Use meatballs and/or broth in Mexican Meatball Soup, Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce, or in the recipe of your choice.
Recipe Notes
- Rolling meatballs is much easier to do with wet hands.
- Breadcrumbs can be substituted for the cooked rice, if that’s what you have on hand.
What to use your Mexican meatballs in:
- Ultra-comforting Mexican Meatball Soup
- Mouthwathering Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce
*Photo credit: Raw meatballs: (c) Julie Magro on Flickr, Creative Commons 2.0 license, no modifications made
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