Albondigas (pork/beef)

100 g extra virgin olive oil

1.2 kg small diced yellow onions

100 g finely minced peeled garlic

8 g whole coriander, toasted & ground

10 g whole cumin, toasted & ground

10 g smoked, sweet pimenton

4 g ground cayenne

~

2.2 kg lean ground pork

2.2 kg lean ground beef (90/10)

75 g kosher salt

2 g ground black pepper

650 g crustless bread (use leftover pan de mie, focaccia, stirato, brioche)

800 g whole milk

300 g whole eggs

55 g minced parsley

25 g minced chives

‍

1. In an extra large saute pan or rondeau, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions, then slightly lower the heat. Sweat the onions until soft and transluscent.
3. When the onions are halfway cooked, add the minced garlic.
4. Continue to cook the garlic & onions until soft, NO COLOR.
5. Add the coriander, cumin, pimenton, and cayenne. Stir to coat the vegetables & caramelize the spices.
6. Transfer the cooked onions/spices to a sheet tray & cool in the walk-in.
7. While the onions are cooling, combine the milk & egg, whisk until smooth.
8. Put the bread in a bowl & pour the milk mixture over. Press the bread down into the milk until it fully absorbs all the milk, press out any dry pieces of bread.
9. Put the ground meats, cooled onions, soaked bread, chopped herbs, kosher salt, ground black pepper in the bowl of your large stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
10. Mix on low speed to fully combine & evenly distribute all of the ingredients.
11. Pull out a 65g scoop to saute & taste. Check seasoning with the chef. Adjust for salt if needed.
12. Chill the meatball mix for one hour so it firms up & is easier to scoop
13. Scoop 65g meatballs onto a parchment-lined sheet tray. Line them up tightly, but just so that sides of the meatballs are just barely touching. Too closely & you cannot roast the meatballs on these same trays.
14. Wrap well with plastic wrap & freeze.

NIGHTLY:

1. Pull the meatballs need for the FOLLOWING DAY to defrost in the walk-in overnight.

DAILY:

1. Roast the defrosted meatballs in a 475 degree combi oven (high fan, zero humidity) for 6-8 minutes. The meatballs should start to color but will still be very juicy & still quite pink in their centers.
2. Heat a large rondeau of tomato sauce to a simmer.
3. Transfer the roasted meatballs to the simmering tomato sauce, do not add the fat from the roasting tray. Gently move the meatballs so they are not crushed in the process.
4. Finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce, simmering for approximately 20 minutes. DO NOT BOIL THE MEATBALLS.
5. Hold the meatballs hot for service.

DO NOT BOIL THE MEATBALLS & DO NOT CROWD TOO MANY MEATBALLS INTO THE SIMMERING TOMATO SAUCE. You should be able to gently stir the meatballs in the sauce without too much effort, and without crushing or breaking meatballs.

Don't forget to pull the meatballs the night before to correctly defrost in the walk-in.

Do not store the meatballs too tightly on sheet trays, they will not roast properly.

DO NOT DEEP FRY THE MEATBALLS. DO NOT ROAST THE MEATBALLS FROM FROZEN.

MEATBALLS SHOULD BE ROASTED & SIMMERED 2X PER DAY (OR MORE IF YOU ARE SUPER BUSY)-- THEY DRY OUT & TOUGHEN IF THEY ARE HELD HOT ALL DAY. PREPARE ENOUGH TO SAFELY GET THROUGH SERVICE.