SPANISH-STYLE ALBONDIGAS IN A SUNNY MEDITERRANEAN SAUCE

Spanish-Style Albondigas in a Sunny Mediterranean Sauce image

A meatball dish to savor. Rich tangy meatballs in a rich savory tomato sauce. Brilliant all year round.

Provided by Anonymous

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Spanish

Time 2h24m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 24

Ingredients

¾ pound ground beef
¼ pound ground pork
2 tablespoons chopped spring onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 ⅔ cups fresh, white bread crumbs, divided
extra-virgin olive oil for frying
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup pancetta, chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 (14 ounce) cans Italian plum tomatoes, chopped

Steps:

Combine ground beef, ground pork, spring onions, fresh oregano, 1 clove garlic, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix well. Add 1 1/3 cups bread crumbs gradually. Form mixture into balls.
Place remaining 1/3 cup bread crumbs in a bowl. Dip meatballs into bread crumbs and transfer to a tray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Cook meatballs in batches, stirring and turning occasionally, until evenly brown and no longer pink in the center, 5 to 7 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into a meatball should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Add pancetta; fry until brown but not crisp, about 4 minutes. Add onion and the remaining garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add red bell pepper, carrot, and celery. Fry, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add oregano, basil, coriander, and black pepper; cook and stir for 1 minute.
Pour wine into the pancetta mixture and stir to reduce. Stir tomato puree in quickly to avoid burning. Add plum tomatoes; stir to break down. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens considerably, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Blend sauce using an immersion blender. Add meatballs to the sauce; cook until heated through, about 10 minutes more.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 733.9 calories, Carbohydrate 31.2 g, Cholesterol 53.1 mg, Fat 55.3 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 20.3 g, SaturatedFat 10.6 g, Sodium 644.5 mg, Sugar 6.5 g