Spanish Pork Meatballs (Albóndigas )
Description
Tender Spanish Meatballs (albóndigas) made with ground pork, a panade (which keeps it nice and moist) cheese, and savory spices. The baked meatballs get served in a sherry tomato sauce that is truly delightful.
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Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 ½ pounds (85/15 or 80/20) ground pork
- 1 cup grated Manchego or Parmesan
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Sauce
- ½ cup dry sherry or cooking sherry
- 1 large pinch saffron threads (50 threads), crumbled
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon chopped capers
- Fresh parsley leaves and toasted slivered almonds, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218ºC) with racks in middle and lowest positions. Coat two baking sheets with nonstick spray.
Meatballs
- Combine 2 slices bread and ½ cup milk in a large bowl, mashing together to form a paste. Add 1 ½ pounds ground pork, 1 cup cheese, ¼ cup parsley, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons coriander, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (1½ teaspoons if using Diamond Crystal), and ¼ teaspoon pepper and mix until combined.
- Form pork mixture into 1-inch meatballs and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake meatballs until golden and cooked through, 12–15 minutes.
Sauce
- Combine ½ cup sherry and 1 large pinch saffron in a small bowl; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium.
- Add 1 cup diced onions and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Deglaze skillet with sherry mixture and add bay leaf; reduce 1 minute. Add 1 can crushed tomatoes and 1 tablespoon chopped capers, season with salt and pepper, and simmer sauce over medium heat, about 5 minutes; discard bay leaf.
- Transfer meatballs to sauce and keep warm until ready to serve. Garnish meatballs with parsley leaves and almonds.
Notes
Avoid over-mixing the ground pork mixture. Over-mixing ground meat can cause tough meatballs. Mix the meat mixture just until combined.
This meatball recipe uses a panade to keep the meatballs nice and moist. A panade is a paste of bread and liquid (usually milk) that is added to the meat mixture to retain moisture and help bind the meat together. The function is similar to breadcrumbs, but with better results.
To ensure the meatballs are cooked through, I recommend using an instant-read thermometer. The Thermapan from Thermoworks is my favorite, though their ThermoPop is a just as good and a fraction of the price.
I originally developed this recipe for Cuisine at Home magazine.
Nutrition
Serving: 6meatballsCalories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 6.5gProtein: 13gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3.5gSodium: 865mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g
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