Let’s get some tapas on the table! Couple more beers (or wine if you’re more into that) and we are ready! For what? Well… you will see! :)
Tapas week on the blog! Yay! Let’s start with one of my favorites (to be honest almost all tapas are my favorites – love them a lot). Albóndigas! Delicious meatballs with tomato sauce – you decide if they turn out spicy or not (normally they are not hot) :) But with a nice cold beer I don’t mind a little bit of a hot tomato sauce with my meatballs ;)
Anyways – an easy recipe. You probably all know how to make meatballs and a tomato sauce – so get all the ingredients and start right away ;)
Typical for many Spanish dishes – tapas and these meatballs included – is paprika or also known as pimentón. It can range from dulce (sweet and mild) to agridulce (medium hot) to picante (hot) – depending on the type of peppers that have been used. In the La Vera region, the peppers are dried over wood fires creating smoked paprika with deep woodsy flavors. I love that and use it a lot :)
¡Buen provecho!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp. dried chilli flakes (optional)
1 tsp. smoked paprika
10 oz. (300g) tomato passata
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
For the meatballs:
14 oz. (400g) ground beef
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
2 oz. (60g) breadcrumbs
salt, pepper, nutmeg (optional)
1 egg
olive oil for frying
3 EL Olivenöl
1/2 Zwiebel, fein gehackt
2 Knoblauchzehen, fein gehackt
1/2 EL getrocknete Chiliflocken (optional)
1 TL Rauchpaprika
300g passierte Tomaten
1 EL Weißweinessig
Für die Fleischbällchen:
400g Hackfleisch (Rind)
1/2 Zwiebel, fein gehackt
1 Knoblauchzehe, fein gehackt
1 EL Petersilie, fein gehackt
60g Semmelbrösel
Salz, Pfeffer, Muskatnuss (optional)
1 Ei
Olivenöl zum Anbraten
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. For the meatballs heat up some oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion and garlic until softened and fragrant. Don’t burn them. Transfer to a bowl and let cool down a bit. Add the ground beef, parsley, breadcrumbs and the egg. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg (optional). Mix until all is well combined. Form bite-sized balls and place on a board, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
3. Heat up some oil in a large pan. Add the meatballs and fry them for about 8-10 minutes so they are browned from all sides. Work in batches, so the heat does not drop too much when adding the meat. Also, don’t go too hot or you will burn them on the outside while they are still raw on the inside. When all meatballs are fried, add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Transfer the Albóndigas to a serving bowl and add some of the sauce as well. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with parsley (optional). Goes well with some fresh bread. You can store the Albóndigas in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days or freeze them – you just have to heat them up again before serving.
2. Für die Fleischbällchen etwas Olivenöl in einer Pfanne erhitzen und die gehackten Zwiebeln und Knoblauch darin kurz anbragen, bis die Zwiebeln weich sind. Nicht verbrennen! In eine Schüssel geben und kurz abkühlen lassen. Das Hackfleisch, Petersilie, Semmelbrösel und das Ei zugeben. Mit Salz, Pfeffer und Muskatnuss (optional) würzen und alles gut verrühren. Aus der Masse kleine Bällchen formen und auf einem Küchenbrett, mit Klarsichtfolie abgedeckt, für etwa 30 Minuten in den Kühlschrank stellen.
3. Etwas Öl in einer großen Pfanne erhitzen. Fleischbällchen in mehreren Portionen zugeben und für 8-10 Minuten von allen Seiten anbraten. Wenn man zu viel Fleisch auf einmal in die Pfanne gibt, sinkt die Temperatur zu schnell – das sollte vermieden werden. Andererseits sollte die Temperatur aber auch nicht zu hoch sein, sonst verbrennen die Fleischbällchen Außen, sind Innen aber noch roh. Wenn alle Fleischbällchen gut angebraten sind, die Tomatensoße zugeben, Hitzezufuhr reduzieren und alles für 10-15 Minuten leicht köcheln lassen.
4. Die Albóndigas zusammen mit der Tomatensoße in eine (oder mehrere) Servierschüssel(n) geben, mit etwas Olivenöl beträufeln und gehackter Petersilie bestreuen (optional). Dazu passt frisches Brot. Die Albóndigas können in einem luftdichten Behälter bis zu 2 Tage im Kühlschrank aufbewahrt werden – oder man friert sie ein – vor dem Servieren dann nur noch einmal erhitzen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
PrintAlbóndigas – Spanish Meatballs
- Prep Time: 50
- Cook Time: 75
- Total Time: 120
Ingredients
For the tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 tbsp. dried chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 10 oz. (300g) tomato passata
- 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
For the meatballs
- 14 oz. (400g) ground beef
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
- 2 oz. (60g) breadcrumbs
- salt, pepper, nutmeg (optional)
- 1 egg
- olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Start with the sauce. Heat up the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion and garlic, the chili flakes (optional) and smoked paprika powder. Cook until the onions are softened (2-3 minutes). Add the passata and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer over low heat for about 30-45 minutes – the sauce should thicken up.
- For the meatballs heat up some oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion and garlic until softened and fragrant. Don’t burn them. Transfer to a bowl and let cool down a bit. Add the ground beef, parsley, breadcrumbs and the egg. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg (optional). Mix until all is well combined. Form bite-sized balls and place on a board, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Heat up some oil in a large pan. Add the meat balls and fry them for about 8-10 minutes so they are browned from all sides. Work in batches, so the heat does not drop too much when adding the meat. Also don’t go too hot or you will burn them on the outside while they are still raw on the inside. When all meatballs are fried, add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the Albóndigas to a serving bowl and add some of the sauce as well. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with parsley (optional). Goes well with some fresh bread. You can store the Albóndigas in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days or freeze them – you just have to heat them up again before serving.
Notes
- ¡Buen provecho!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Ein unglaublich schöner Blog. Ich erblasse vor Neid.
Vielen Dank Philipp :)
Deinen Blog musste aber auch nicht verstecken – schöne Sache!
LG
Marc