Lamb & Beef Albondigas
Spiced Lamb & Beef ‘Albondigas’ with Almond Romesco Sauce
Yield: 4
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely minced
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound high-quality ground lamb
- 1 pound ground grass-fed beef (90/10 or 85/15)
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup (loosely-packed) fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs
- ¼ cup heavy/whipping cream
- Aged Manchego cheese, as needed
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onions are quite soft and translucent, and beginning to release some moisture. Uncover, turn the heat back up to medium, and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the onions are golden brown and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir regularly, and turn the heat down if the onions start to burn. Transfer caramelized onions to a large mixing bowl, and let cool to room-temperature.
- Add the ground lamb to the cooled caramelized onions then stir in the egg yolks. In a separate bowl, stir together the herbs, spices, & breadcrumbs until well-mixed. Add to the lamb mixture, followed by the cream, and use your fingers to gently mix until evenly combined. Wash your hands, coat with a bit of olive oil, then roll the lamb into ~1-inch balls, or slightly smaller than golf balls. Place them in rows on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan, about an inch and a half apart. You should end up with 28-30 meatballs.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until nicely browned & cooked through (internal temp should be 145-150 deg. If they are still a little pink inside, that’s ok. Divide the meatballs into warm bowls, drizzle with the romesco sauce, garnish with chopped parsley & grated manchego cheese,
Serve
- Serve warm with a glass of Eleven Malbec!