Albondigas by Manny

[Manuell Alvarez]

Hola Amigos.
I have a recipe for Catalan meatballs, ( Albondigas a la Catalana). It is a very good recipe; however, I have modified it for our own homemade version and hopefully, my version is as good as the traditional one they make in Catalan. Here are the ingredients for Albondigas by Manny, the middle son and descendant of an Asturian immigrant:

2 lbs. of ground pork 80/20 meat to fat ratio.
one tablespoon of dried marjoram.
one teaspoon of smoked paprika.
one teaspoon of sweet paprika.
one half teaspoon of dried oregano
one teaspoon of granulated sugar.
one teaspoon of garlic powder.
one teaspoon of onion powder.
one eigtht teaspoon of fine sea salt.
one half teaspoon of black pepper.

one large egg
one slice of white bread with crust removed.
three tablespoons of light cream or milk.
three tablespoons of marsala wine.

Mix well and roll into three quarter inch size balls and bake on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a preheated 350 degree F. oven until brown and crispy. Add them to four cans of Cannellini beans well drained, and to that mixture add sauteed carrots and Valdalia onions, and one jar of pimentos. For liquid add one half cup of marsala wine, one third cup of Balsamic vinegar, one cup of chicken broth, and one and a half cups of V8 juice. Cook beans and meatballs in covered dish in 350 degree preheated oven for about one hour.

Hopefully, this recipe is close to the Spanish version. The dish was a hit this past weekend with our family.

Buen provecho para siempre, Amigos,

Manny

[Manuell Alvarez]

For the second batch made for this weekend I added one teaspoon of cinnamon to the meatball mixture and it added a different depth of favor;although, I am not sure that is a traditional spice used in Spain.

Manny