{"id":4380,"date":"2009-09-30T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2009-09-30T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.patismexicantable.com\/2009\/09\/dreaming_of_julios_albondigas\/"},"modified":"2021-03-19T17:13:13","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T21:13:13","slug":"dreaming_of_julios_albondigas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patijinich.com\/pati_2020\/dreaming_of_julios_albondigas\/","title":{"rendered":"Dreaming of Julio’s Alb\u00f3ndigas with Chipotle and Mint"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been humbled, time and again, by how one never stops learning from other cooks in the kitchen. That has especially been the case with my cooking team at the Mexican Cultural Institute. We are all from different parts of Mexico, with our peculiar twists and spins, influences and very strong opinions, which we love to scream out loud when trying to make what we serve at each event be the best it can possibly be. Though we get a bit stressed when cooking for kitchen outsiders, we really let loose when making lunch for ourselves. We take turns and last week Julio, a former Mexican taquer\u00ed\u00ada cook, made his alb\u00f3ndigas. I had been dying to try them since not only he, but his aunt Maricruz, had been raving about them for over two years. “De veras, de veritas Pati” (Maricruz said, which means really, REALLY) “he makes the most delicious alb\u00f3ndigas of them all.”<\/p>\n

There are multiple versions of just about any dish in the world. I am always amazed each time I test and play around with a single dish, at the many directions it can be driven to. That said, we have a family alb\u00f3ndigas version at home, which my boys eat happily at least a couple times a month.<\/p>\n

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As I watched Julio prepare his alb\u00f3ndigas, I asked him about things I was biased against for the dish, like the use of rice and mint. Well… humbled again I was! As it is said, the devil is in the details, it’s a matter of how these ingredients are used. Each thing that makes these alb\u00f3ndigas work so well, does so for a reason. I liked them so, that we will be making Julio’s meatballs at home now too. My boys noticed the difference in such a good way: “there\u00a0is something different Mami” they were telling each other, as they cleaned\u00a0their plates up. Here is a step by step guide on how to make this easy and perfect dish for the Fall:<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ripe Roma tomatoes, a couple garlic cloves and a thick slice of white onion to prepare the base for tomato broth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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First of all, the tomato broth where the alb\u00f3ndigas are cooked in\u00a0uses not just a couple of tomatoes, but a couple pounds. Though in\u00a0Mexican cooking we usually use Roma (called Guaje) tomatoes for sauces and salsas\u00a0rather than Round tomatoes, I would recommend using the freshest and ripest you can find, or let them mature outside the refrigerator for a couple days. As the Fall\u00a0sets in, you can substitute the fresh tomatoes with a brand you like of\u00a0simple tomato puree.<\/div>\n
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\"chipotle
Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce give the broth a smoky, sweet and rich depth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Once the tomatoes are simmered in water for about 10 minutes, they are\u00a0placed in the blender with a couple garlic cloves, a thick slice of raw\u00a0onion and a nice healthy dose of Chipotle chiles in Adobo Sauce.<\/a>\u00a0If you can take more heat, drop in a whole Chipotle chile in adobo as\u00a0well. But remember, you can always add more heat, but it is much more\u00a0challenging to tone it down once it’s in the mix. So you may want to start with\u00a0a tablespoon of sauce, and as the broth cooks on, taste to see if you can\u00a0take a bit more heat. If you are a Chipotle addict, like me, no need to take\u00a0precautions.After this tomato broth is cooked and seasoned, you can add some chicken broth.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"mint
The mint and garlic play subtly with the tomato and the Chipotle adding both fragrance and welcomed layers of flavor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Up to this point, all is familiar to me. Julio’s spin though, mashes a couple garlic cloves with 5 or 6 fresh mint leaves in a molcajete and tejolote<\/a>,\u00a0the Mexican version of a mortar and pestle. You can use the former or\u00a0the latter, and if you don’t have either, just mince them finely with\u00a0a knife. The way the mint plays with the tomato and the chipotle in the\u00a0dish is subtle, yet quite spectacular.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Quickly mashed garlic and fresh mint leaves.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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It takes no more than 10 seconds to mash it all up. And if you have a\u00a0molcajete or want to get one, this is a great way to start seasoning it\u00a0or to season it further.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My 3 year old sous chef, or as my late grandfather would say, my bandido, mashing away.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Since mashing is an activity loved by just about\u00a0everyone around here, we ended up adding a bit more of this seasoning when we\u00a0made the dish at home.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Ground turkey breast, white rice cooked al dente, mashed mint and garlic, eggs, kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Julio used ground turkey breast, which is what we had at hand. I love to use turkey to make alb\u00f3ndigas, as it makes them lighter and\u00a0leaner while still very flavorful. You can also use ground chicken, beef, or your preferred\u00a0combination of meats: veal, beef and pork. This latter one, is my\u00a0mother’s take. It is pretty tasty too. Julio typically makes them with a mix of beef and pork, but he was unexpectedly more than happy with the results from the turkey.The last of Julio’s spins, that I was skeptic about, was the addition of rice to bind the meat and give the alb\u00f3ndigas nice texture. Turns out, it depends on how you use the rice. Other versions I had tried before with rice, add it completely raw. Julio, quickly cooks the rice in water for 6 to 8 minutes until it is barely cooked through or al dente. So when you add it to the mixture, it finishes cooking as the meatballs cook in the broth and it bonds beautifully together making them fluffy, soft and with such a bite-able consistency.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A plate, ready for you to jump into, with ripe Mexican avocados… tasty with corn tortillas and cooked beans too.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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So finally, here goes the recipe for you to print out! My guess is that you will also be pleasantly surprised by what mint and garlic do to the already smashing combination of tomato and chipotle. If you try them, let me know…<\/div>\n
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Julio\u2019s Alb\u00f3ndigas with Chipotle and Mint<\/h2>\n \n <\/div>\n
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