Colombian Meatballs with Cornmeal (Albóndigas)
Ground beef bound with masarepa instead of breadcrumbs, with onion, bell pepper, garlic and cilantro through it. The cornmeal is what makes them Colombian and it also makes them gluten-free. Fried and served with rice. Serves four.
Servings: 4
Calories: 592kcal
Ingredients
- ½ pound lean ground beef about 225 g
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup masarepa (precooked corn flour) P.A.N. or Areparina; breadcrumbs work but then they are no longer gluten-free
- ½ large onion, finely chopped you can soften it in a pan first if you prefer a milder result
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 sprig cilantro, finely chopped the leaf, not the seed
- Salt, pepper and spices, to taste
- ½ cup vegetable oil, for frying
- ¼ red bell pepper, finely chopped
Instructions
- Put the ground beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic, masarepa, cilantro, egg, salt, pepper and spices into a large bowl. Mix well with your hands until it is even.
- Shape the meatballs and set them on a tray or a flat plate.
- Put a pan with the oil over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, add the meatballs one at a time and fry them, turning, until golden all over, about 7 minutes in total.
- Lift them out and drain on paper towels. If you would rather cook them in sauce, simmer them in it for about 20 minutes; if they are going into a soup, add them and give them the soup's cooking time.
- Serve with white rice, and with a sauce if you like: sweet and sour, tomato, or hogao.
Notes
The masarepa is doing the job breadcrumbs usually do: absorbing moisture and binding the meat. It works the same way and it means these are gluten-free as written, which is worth knowing since most meatball recipes are not. If you use breadcrumbs instead they are no longer gluten-free. Mix with your hands rather than a spoon, and only until it comes together: overworked meat makes dense meatballs. They can be fried and eaten as they are, simmered in sauce for 20 minutes, or dropped into a soup.
Nutrition
Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 674mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 309IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 3mg