Summary

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 500 g minced meat, mixed
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 pinch (s) nutmeg, freshly ground
• 30 g panko
• 25 g wheat flour type 405
• 1 pinch cinnamon, ground
• 1 teaspoon, heaped tomato paste
• 1 egg (s)
• Sea salt and pepper, fresh from the mill
• 5 tablespoon olive oil, virgin, extra virgin

For the sauce:

• 1 medium onion (s), finely diced
• 1 red pepper (s), finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, fresher, finely sliced
• 1 handful cherry tomato (s), approx. 5 - 6
• 80 ml red wine, drier
• 1 tablespoon, heaped cane sugar, brown
• 1 tablespoon, heaped tomato paste
• 1 can tomatoes, chunky, 400 g
• 1 teaspoon, leveled chilli flakes
• 1 bay leaf, as fresh as possible
• 1 sprig rosemary, fresh
• 1 sprig (s) thyme, fresh
• 3 sage leaves, cut into fine strips
• 0.25 ¼ bunch parsley, smooth, including stalk

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Instructions

1. First prepare the meat mixture. To do this, simply put all the ingredients except the olive oil in a sufficiently large bowl. Now knead the mass thoroughly and persistently with your hands (I like to wear disposable gloves for this, it`s more hygienic despite washing my hands and the meatballs are easy to roll). Roll the meat mixture into walnut-sized balls and park on a cutting board.
2. Now bring the oil to 3/4 heat in a large non-stick pan with a high rim (see photo) and fry the meatballs all around until an even, light, brown crust has formed. Then take the pan off the fire, take out the balls and park.
3. Now wash, dry, dry the vegetables for the sauce and cut them to size according to the information on the list.
4. Now add the onions, paprika, garlic, tomato paste, sugar, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme and sage to the frying oil of the meatballs over half heat. Sweat everything evenly while stirring until the onions are nice and translucent.
5. Tip: cut into the fresh bay leaf a few times to make it easier for the essential oils.
6. Now deglaze with the wine and thoroughly loosen the sediment of the pan with a pan lifter. Then let the alcohol in the wine boil off briefly.
7. Now add the chopped tomatoes from the can and sprinkle in the cherry tomatoes. Bring to the boil briefly and then add the meatballs. Swirl once and let simmer in the sauce for another 20 minutes over minimal heat.
8. Now the albondigas are ready for the tapas bar. To serve, just sprinkle with the parsley.
9. Tip: Always use the parsley stalks. The aroma is in there and gives a great bite when eating.
10. Enjoy with rice or pasta as a main course.
11. Albondigas are among the ten most popular tapas in Spain and always belong on a well-stocked tapas table. But it is also a great meal as a main course with saffron rice or noodles, for example. In Spain they use ground lamb or beef. But I find a) lamb too good for the balls and b) beef too dry. The proportion of pork ensures juiciness. And with panko instead of breadcrumbs everything will be nice and fluffy.