Recipe Notes: Spanish-style Meatballs in Almond Sauce

26 August 2019

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, March 2019; also available online.

I didn't know tabout Spanish-style meatballs, not that I had ever thought about it. Italian meatballs and Swedish meatballs I have heard about, but not Spanish. These meatballs, albóndigas, are often served as a tapas offering but they can also be served as a main dish with dinner. I was intrigued by the recipe and so gave them a try. 

The first step was to prepare a picada which provides the sauce for the meatballs. Almonds and white bread were finely ground in a food processor then transferred to a nonstick skillet. Olive oil was added and the mixture cooked until golden brown. The picada was finished by adding minced fresh parsley and garlic. The meatballs are made from ground pork rather than ground beef. Bread was finely ground in the food processor. Egg, garlic, water, parsley, salt, and pepper are added and processed until smooth. Ground pork was added to this panade and pulsed until combined. A #60 portioning scoop (about 1 tablespoon) was used to form the meatballs. I made 38 though the recipe says I should get about 24, so I guess my meatballs are a little on the small size for this recipe. Extra-virgin olive oil was heated in a nonstick skillet and finely chopped onion was cooked until softened. Paprika was added and cooked until fragrant, followed by chicken broth and white wine which were brought to a simmer. Saffron was stirred into the mixture and the meatballs were added. These were cooked in the simmering liquid, turning the meatballs once, until they reached an internal temperature of 160°. The picada was stirred in and cooked for a few minutes until thickened. Off heat, red wine vinegar was stirred in to finish the dish. Total time was 90 minutes.

I wish I had a better palate and more training so I could better identify the flavors in this dish. This is the first time I have ever cooked with expensive saffron. Whatever it was, the meatballs and sauce were wonderful. The meatballs were tender and the sauce had a wonderful aromatic flavor. The flavors were more subtle than those in Italian and Swedish meatballs but that is not to say this dish is inferior in any way. We had these meatballs for three meals, served with either rice or mashed potatoes, and they only got better after sitting in the refrigerator for a few days. This is a dish worth making again.