Cafe Sevilla's albondigas (meatballs)
Dear SOS: A recipe I have loved for a long time is the albondigas from Cafe Sevilla in Riverside. Thanks for your willingness to satisfy my search for these amazing eats.
Cory Stepanek
Lake Arrowhead
Dear Cory: These are some of the best meatballs I’ve had in a long time. Roasted garlic, fresh basil and cilantro, along with dried oregano, Spanish paprika and grated Manchego cheese lend rich, deep flavor to these tender pork-and-beef meatballs. Go ahead and plan to make a double batch — they go quickly.
In a sauté pan heated over medium heat, combine the olive oil and onions, cooking the onions until they soften and become translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and place the onions in a large mixing bowl.
To the bowl, add the roasted garlic, basil, cilantro, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Set the mixture aside until the onion has cooled to room temperature.
To the cooled onion mixture, stir in the eggs and bread crumbs, then the ground pork, beef and cheese, mixing with your hands until uniform and fully combined.
Divide the mixture into 36 meatballs, each about one-fourth cup. The meatballs may be covered and refrigerated at this point up to 3 days before cooking.
To cook the meatballs, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the meatballs out onto foil- or parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them an inch or so apart for even cooking.
Cook the meatballs until firm and golden and a thermometer inserted reaches 165 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through cooking for even heating and coloring. Serve garnished with parsley.
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