| Albondigas Soup Recipe | | | | oxtail bouillon soup (and accompanying |
| Preparation time: 1 hour. | | | | paté). If you've never |
| This Spanish meatball soup was a family favorite | | | | cooked oxtails before, they do indeed come from the |
| growing up. Not an appetizer, always a main course, | | | | tail of a steer, and they make the most divinely |
| either for lunch or dinner. "Albondigas" means | | | | flavorful stew. Their bones are also filled with marrow, |
| "meatballs" in Spanish, and the trick to perfect | | | | perfect for making bouillon. Some people (I'm talking |
| albondigas soup is to put chopped mint leaves into the | | | | regular meat-eaters here) cringe at the thought of |
| meatballs. The mint is what gives an albondigas soup | | | | eating an oxtail. My recommendation? Get over it. You |
| meatball its unique flavor. | | | | eat chicken drumsticks, don't you? |
| 2 tablespoons olive oil | | | | This recipe comes from an old issue (1993) of |
| 1 large onion, chopped | | | | Gourmet magazine. It makes a delicious soup on its |
| 1 large garlic clove, minced | | | | own. You can also use it as a base for French onion |
| 1/2 cup of tomato sauce | | | | soup or other beef-based soups. |
| 3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water | | | | 3-4 lbs oxtails, patted dry |
| OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half | | | | Salt and pepper |
| water as the meatballs will create their own stock) | | | | 2 onions, peeled and quartered |
| 2 large carrots, sliced | | | | 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch sections |
| 1/2 lb of string beans, cut into 1 inch pieces | | | | the zest of one orange, removed in strips with a |
| 1 pound ground beef | | | | vegetable peeler |
| 1/3 cup of raw white rice | | | | 1 cup dry white wine |
| 1 raw egg | | | | 4 quarts water |
| 1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves and/or parsley | | | | 1/3 cup fresh cranberries |
| 1 1/2 teaspoon salt | | | | 10 oz mushrooms, chopped coarse |
| 1/4 teaspoon black pepper | | | | 3 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch sections |
| 1/1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas | | | | 4 sprigs of thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme |
| Dried oregano, crumbled | | | | 1 bay leaf |
| Salt and pepper | | | | 4 cloves |
| 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro | | | | 1 teaspoon peppercorns1 Preheat the oven to |
| Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. | | | | 450°F. In a large roasting |
| Add onion and minced garlic and | | | | pan combine the oxtails, patted dry and seasoned with |
| sauté until tender, about 5 | | | | salt and pepper, the onions, the carrots, and the zest. |
| minutes. Add tomato sauce and broth mixture. Bring to | | | | Roast mixture in the middle of the oven, turning the |
| boil and simmer. Add carrots and string beans. | | | | oxtails are browned, and transfer it to a large stockpot. |
| Prepare meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint land | | | | |
| parsley leaves, salt and pepper. Add raw egg. Form | | | | 2 Deglaze the roasting pan with the wine over high |
| beef into 1-inch meatballs. Return soup to gentle | | | | heat, scraping up the brown bits, and add the deglazing |
| simmer. Add meatballs to soup. Cover and let simmer | | | | liquid to the stockpot with the water, cranberries, |
| for 1/2 hour. Add peas towards the end of the 1/2 | | | | mushrooms, celery, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, and |
| hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with | | | | peppercorns. Bring the liquid to a boil, skimming the |
| salt and pepper to taste. Garnish soup with chopped | | | | froth, and simmer gently, uncovered, for 3 hours. |
| fresh cilantro. | | | | 3 Ladle the mixture through a sieve lined with a rinsed |
| Serves 6-8. | | | | and squeezed kitchen towel into a large bowl. |
| Beef Bouillon Soup from Oxtails Recipe | | | | Reserve the oxtails for another use, such as oxtail |
| Many recipes call for beef stock (e.g. French onion | | | | pate. Discard the remaining solids. The bouillon can be |
| soup), but good beef stock is hard to come by, with | | | | made 3 days in advance and kept chilled. Discard |
| beef prices these days, expensive to make. Costco to | | | | excess fat (leave enough to cover soup when chilled). |
| the rescue. I picked up a 3 lb tray of oxtails at Costco | | | | Bring the bouillon just to a boil and ladle it into warmed |
| recently, for only $3.30 a lb, and made this wonderful | | | | bowls. Makes 8 cups. Serves 6 to 8. |