Albondigas en Salsa (Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)
Tender, bread-softened meatballs simmered in a smoky paprika-tomato sauce until every bite soaks up the rich, glossy gravy -- Spain's ultimate weeknight comfort food. Ground pork and beef are mixed with soaked bread, egg, and garlic, then rolled small and browned in olive oil before simmering in a tomato-based sauce seasoned with smoked paprika and bay leaf. The bread in the mixture keeps the meatballs from turning dense, giving them a soft, almost spongy center that absorbs the sauce as they braise. The tomato sauce mellows over twenty minutes of gentle heat, losing its raw acidity and developing a concentrated sweetness that clings to each ball. Served with crusty bread to mop up the sauce, or spooned over plain rice, this is the kind of dish Spanish grandmothers make on weekday evenings without measuring anything.
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Instructions
- 1
Mix ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, and salt, then shape meatballs.
- 2
Brown the meatballs in oil until seared outside.
- 3
In the same pan, saute onion and garlic until softened.
- 4
Add tomatoes and paprika; simmer 5 minutes for the sauce.
- 5
Return meatballs and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
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