the classic recipe
Spanish meatballs in sauce
Spanish meatballs in sauce are grandmother's cooking turned into a bar staple — tender little rounds of mixed meat (kept soft by milk-soaked crustless bread) bathed in a gently sweet onion-and-carrot sauce fragrant with white wine, finished with fresh parsley. Served in a small earthenware dish on the bar counter with crusty bread for dipping, they are the clearest proof of how Spain turns humble ingredients into everyday art.
yields 4 servings·805 kcal per serving·cuisine Spanish
The traditional recipe
Instructions
Place the crustless bread (50 g) in a small bowl, cover with milk and let soak for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the milk firmly with your hands and discard the liquid.
In a large bowl, combine the ground pork and beef (250 g each), egg, 1 finely minced garlic clove, chopped parsley, and the squeezed bread. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix until just combined — do not overwork or the meatballs will turn rubbery.
Roll the mixture into walnut-sized balls (approx. 3 cm diameter). Lightly coat each one in all-purpose flour, shaking off the excess.
Heat 100 ml of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, turning to sear all sides (about 3 minutes per batch). Remove and set aside. They do not need to be cooked through at this stage.
In the same skillet (or a medium saucepan), heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion, chopped carrot, and the remaining 2 garlic cloves for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add 1 tablespoon of flour to the soffritto and stir for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
Add the beef or chicken stock (400 ml), season with salt and pepper, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. If you prefer a smooth sauce, blend with an immersion blender (optional, Arguiñano style).
Return the meatballs to the sauce and simmer over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until fully cooked through and flavored by the sauce.
Finish with freshly chopped parsley and serve directly in the cazuela, alongside crusty bread, white rice, or mashed potatoes.