Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

I've been making this recipe for years and I think I got it off of the back of a pan that I bought at a Smith's grocery store.  Normally I wouldn't take much stock in a recipe on the packaging, but something made me try it.  And I have never regretted it.  There are two things that I think make this recipe better than most:  1) it uses half ground beef and half ground pork.  This gives it a unique flavor
2) the use of mint flakes in the meatballs.  You don't taste it, but it's enough to give them a fresh flavor
The recipe calls for 1/2 lb. each ground beef and pork and most packages come in 1 lb. increments.  So now you have a 1/2 lb. each left over so what to you do with it?  I put it in a freezer ziploc and store it until the next time I make this.  Or you can try using the combination for spaghetti and meatballs.  I've seen meatballs recipes that call for this combo or even with veal.  Very tasty!

Here is the recipe:

Albondigas

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup short-grain white rice                     
• 1 1/2 cups water    
• 2 tbsp. olive oil      
• 1 white onion, diced                                   
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 egg                     
• 1 tsp. ground cumin                                   
• 1 tsp. dried oregano                                   
• 1 tsp. dried mint     
• 3/4 tsp. salt            
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper                    
• 2 tbsp. olive oil      
• 1 white onion, diced                                   
• 1 clove garlic, minced                                
• 1 zucchini, diced    
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced                        
• 4 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced     
• 8 cups chicken broth                                  
• 1-1 1/2 tsp. salt            
• 1/2-3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges

Directions:

      Place the rice in a heatproof bowl. Bring the water to a boil and pour it over the rice. Let soak for 40 minutes, then drain; set aside. 

      Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. 

      In a bowl, combine the pork, beef, cooled onion, soaked rice, egg, cumin, oregano, mint, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix well and form into 1″ balls. 

      In a soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, zucchini, carrots and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

      Add the chicken stock, stir well and bring to a boil. Carefully slip the meatballs into the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the meatballs are fully cooked, about 45 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper.  Serve at once.

Servings:  8

This isn't a hard recipe to make, but it takes a little time and planning.  The reason is because you start out boiling some water and soaking the rice in it for 40 minutes.  You also saute the onions and let them cool.  From there on it, it's straightforward.  The recipe calls for short-grain rice, but for the life of me, I can never find it in the grocery store.  So, I use long-grain rice.  I haven't changed it in the recipe because I am bound and determined to find some short-grain rice to see the difference.

The next step is to combine the ingredients for the meatballs.  I use ground oregano because it distributes more evenly.  If I was adding it directly to the soup, I would use leaves.  Reason, I feel they release their flavor better in that environment.  Am I right?  Who knows but that's my reasoning and I'm sticking too it (or until I learn different).  This may seem yucky, but the best way to combine everything for meatballs, use your hands.  It really is the best way, so take your rings off and dig in. 

The next steps you will be sauteeing the vegetables to build the flavor for the soup.  I use homemade chicken stock if I have it.  It's easy to make and freezes well.  To make it, take a whole chicken, a whole onion cut in half (don't have to peel it because you're just going to throw it out afterwards) and two carrots chopped into chunks.  Enough water to cover, bring to a boil and simmer for about 50 minutes.  Remove chicken and shred when cooled and strain the stock and freeze.  I store it in different size containers because different recipes use different amounts.

Next you bring the soup to a boil and then slip in the meatballs.  I use a small scoop to form them.  This mixture is pretty soft so it doesn't take much to form them.  I start from the outside and work in adding the meatballs.  You'll want to stir once in a while, but not too often and do it gently.  Don't want to break up the meatballs. 

I like to serve this soup with some lemon wedges.  Some people like lime, but for this one I like lemon.  This is one reason I love Mexican soups so much, you add lemon!  It gives them such a fresh taste.  I like a lot of lemon juice.  Just don't use that pre-packaged lemon juice crap.  It has a stale flavor and I would rather eat the soup without lemon juice than use that stuff.  Enjoy!