In Spain, albóndigas, or meatballs, are a quintessential tapas offering, enjoyed as part of a spread of shared dishes. Unlike Mexican albóndigas, which are simmered in a soup, these petite, saucy meatballs are typically served in a cazuela (a shallow clay baking dish) and eaten one by one using toothpicks.
I’ve enjoyed albóndigas coated in a robust tomato sauce, but I recently learned of another style. In this version, a saffron-and-paprika-infused wine sauce is flavored and thickened with picada, a lively mixture of fried ground nuts and bread, raw garlic, and often parsley. Unlike a roux or cornstarch, each of which is primarily used to thicken foods, the ground nuts and bread in picada provide body while also contributing vibrant complexity. Frying the nuts and bread in olive oil brings richness and nuttiness that’s accentuated by the grassy parsley and sharp garlic. (For more information, see “Ode to Picada.”) I couldn’t wait to give this style of meatballs a try.
I tested a handful of recipes, all of which followed a similar process: Ground meat (pork alone or pork mixed with beef or veal) is combined with egg, garlic, parsley, and a panade—a paste of bread and liquid (water is typically used for albóndigas). The panade’s liquid adds moisture while the bread’s starch interferes with the meat’s proteins, preventing them from connecting too strongly and causing toughness. The meat mixture is shaped into balls, deep- or pan-fried until browned, and then set aside while a sauce is created by cooking softened onion with broth and white wine. The meatballs then simmer in the sauce until it has reduced a bit and the meatballs are cooked through. Finally, the picada is stirred in.
Leave a comment and join the conversation!