Ingredients

Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound lean ground pork (OR ground turkey)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano leaves,

crushed

1/8 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

1/4 cup long grain rice, uncooked

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (1/2"

to 3/4" cube)

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

Broth from one recipe of Carnitas, about

4 quarts of liquid

Skim fat that rises to the surface of

the broth with a spoon. Remove as much

as you can, but a little bit left in

the soup will intensify the flavor. Strain

the broth through a colander lined with

cheesecloth or a large fine-mesh sieve, to remove whole spices, onion,

etc. Return to stockpot and hold, off heat.

In a large bowl, combine egg, cilantro,

oregano and pepper. Add ground beef and

ground pork, uncooked rice and mix well.

Form meat mixture into balls approximately 1

to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Return stockpot to heat and bring broth to

simmer. Add tomato paste and stir to mix

well. Add sliced carrots and simmer for 5

minutes. Carefully add meatballs, a few at a

time, until they are all in the pot. (Don’t

splash and burn yourself!) Add potatoes and

bring the pot to a boil. Immediately lower

heat to simmer. Simmer about 30 minutes, or

until meatballs and veggies are done. Ladle

into bowls and serve with warm tortillas.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Preparation

CARNITAS (translated: “little meats”)

1 4 to 5 pound pork shoulder or butt, left whole, bone-in, but trimmed of large pieces of exterior fat and rind

1 large yellow onion, peeled, quartered

1 Tbsp. coriander seeds (whole seeds, NOT ground)

1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds (whole, not ground)

2 tsp. dry oregano leaves (not ground)

2 bay leaves

water

Place all ingedients into a 6 to 8 quart stock pot. Pour in enough water to just cover the meat.

Heat to a boil, reduce to a slow simmer, cover and allow to cook until meat easily shreds with two forks. This takes somewhere between 3 and 5 hours. Add more boiling water, as necessary, to keep meat covered.

Heat oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove meat from the stock pot and place in a large 13" x 9" roasting pan. (Reserve broth for Albondigas). Gently pull meat apart, discarding excess fat, bone and any connective tissue. Meat should be in small to medium-size chunks, spread out in the pan.

Bake, uncovered, in the 450 degree oven until the meat is browned and sizzling hot, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, place meat on warmed platter and serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.