Albóndigas con Salsa de Tomate

Or “Meatballs with Tomato Sauce”, an easy Recipe from Spain

Aug 25, 2007 Angeles Fernández

Although this Meatballs (Albóndigas) recipe shows different variations depending on every Spanish area, this is my favourite one, taking into account children love it!

And this is my family’s version for the “Albóndigas con Salsa de Tomate”. But before all the explanations, it would be interesting to know about the origins of this Spanish word: “albóndigas”. In fact, “albóndiga” comes from the Arabic term “búndiqa” (ball), but at the same time, this last term has its origin in old Greek language.

But let’s come back to our recipe.

Let’s start with the Ingredients:

  • 1/2 Kg. (around 1,10 pounds) minced beef
  • 1 egg
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ onion
  • Parsley
  • 1 slice of bread
  • 2 tablespoons of milk
  • Salt
  • Olive oil
  • 1 cup of Flour
  • Tomato sauce

Directions:

  1. First, we have to prepare the meatballs mixture, adding the meat (use a big bowl) and then the egg (don’t beat it).
  2. On a dish, place the slice of bread and add over it the milk, letting the bread absorb it.
  3. Add 2-3 pinches of salt, the garlic cloves, chopped in very small pieces, he parsley and finally the slice of bread, previously covered with milk.
  4. Use a fork to completely mix all the ingredients.
  5. Let this mixture stand for some 10 minutes.
  6. Now, add olive oil (enough to cover meatballs while being fried) in a frying pan and let it heat (medium heat).
  7. Meanwhile, place the floor on a dish and take portions of meat mixture and give them a rounded form using 2 tablespoons. Or, if you prefer, shape them with your hands. Roll every meatball on the floor until it is completely covered.
  8. The oil shouldn’t be very hot, so you can start frying the meatballs, until they get a brown surface. Anyway, take into account that if the oil is too hot, the meatballs will be take a brown look very soon, but their inside will stay raw.
  9. Chop the onion and let it fry (low-heat) in a large sauce pan with 1 table spoon of oil, until it gets transparent.
  10. Add the tomato sauce (you can either buy fried tomato sauce or cook your own sauce) to the fried onion and let it cook for a while.
  11. Add the fried meatballs to the tomato sauce, and some water (1/2 glass).
  12. Cook low-heat until the tomato sauce becomes thicker, but stirring from time to time, so that it does not stick.

And this is Angeles’ recipe!

If you have children, they will really enjoy this “albóndigas con salsa de tomate”, or easier: “albóndigas con tomate”. And you can even add something they really like... French fries! Yes, they're not very healthy, but from time to time, they won't be a problem for health. You can also try this Italian Meatballs with Tomato Sauce.

¡Buen provecho!

The copyright of the article Albóndigas con Salsa de Tomate in Mediterranean Cuisine is owned by Angeles Fernández. Permission to republish Albóndigas con Salsa de Tomate in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.