Bring the authentic taste of Spain to your home with this professional albóndigas recipe, straight from Restaurant Van de Leur. Our experienced chefs craft these juicy, flavorful meatballs in a rich, simmered tomato sauce—a tapas favorite that's simple to prepare and perfect for sharing. Known for innovative dishes cooked with passion on the Big Green Egg, Van de Leur shares this crowd-pleaser to elevate your gatherings.
Meatball Ingredients:
400 g mixed ground meat
Salt
Pepper
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp pimentón
1 small egg
2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
Sauce Ingredients:
Hand blender
1 garlic clove
1 shallot
1 tbsp olive oil
Dash of red wine
1 can peeled tomatoes
½ can water
Salt and pepper
1 tsp pimentón
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp ginger syrup
Preparing the Meatballs:
1. Season the ground meat with salt, pepper, cumin powder, 1 tsp pimentón, panko, and the egg.
2. Roll into 12 balls and chill.
Preparing the Sauce:
1. Finely chop the garlic and shallot; sauté in olive oil.
2. Add a dash of red wine and cook off the alcohol.
3. Add the can of peeled tomatoes and ½ can water.
4. Season with pimentón, cumin powder, salt, and pepper; simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Blend smooth with immersion blender, then stir in tomato paste and ginger syrup (adjust salt).
6. Add meatballs to sauce; simmer gently for 8 minutes (shake pan, don't stir).
