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