Meatballs in Spanish Sauce

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Marlene Steinberg of Marina del Rey, CA for this one:

My roommate decided to give up smoking last week by trying the new
E-Cigarettes. The "E" is for electronic. You put drops of nicotine
liquid on to a filter and puff to simulate the same experience. Some of
the flavors of the E-liquid are chocolate and coffee bean. She said,
"Now if they'd include caffeine to the mix, I could 'smoke' all my bad habits."

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This sauce, based on carrots and onions, is so popular in Spain that they named it for themselves.

Meatballs in Spanish Sauce (Albondigas en Salsa Espanola)

For the sauce:
1/2 cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Tbs (30 ml) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 ml) beef stock or water
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry sherry or dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the meatballs:
1 slice white country-style bread
1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
1 1/2 lbs (675 g) ground beef or mixture of ground beef and ground pork
1 egg
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs (15 ml) finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Make the sauce first. Heat the olive oil in a pot over moderate heat and
saute the onion until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots
and flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add the beef
stock, wine, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10
minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool a little. Puree in an
electric blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender until smooth.
Set aside.

Place the bread and the milk in a large mixing bowl and allow to soak
for about 10 minutes. Add the meat, egg, garlic, onion, parsley, salt,
and pepper and mix well. Form into balls about the size of walnuts and
place in a single layer in lightly greased baking dish. Bake in a
preheated 450 (230C) oven for 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the
meatballs, reduce the heat to 325F (165C), and bake for 10 more minutes.
Serve hot or warm, with toothpicks or small forks.
Serves 8 to 12 as an appetizer.
Received on Fri Nov 13 02:36:05 2009