Paloma’s chef Aarón Sánchez learned to prepare his restaurant’s signature albóndingas from his grandmother, the noted chef and cookbook author Aida Gabilondo. The third-generation recipe is now a delicious menu classic and customer favorite, and Aarón shares it here for you to make at home. Buen provecho!
Albóndigas al Chipotle
1 lb. lean ground pork butt
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large egg
1 cup corn flour mixed with 3/4 cup warm water
4 garlic cloves, finely mashed
Salt and pepper
3 lbs. very ripe unpeeled tomatoes
5 whole garlic cloves
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. instant chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 canned chipotle chiles, puréed in blender with 1 cup cold water
Mix pork, beef, egg, corn flour water mixture and mashed garlic. Knead well, adding about 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper as you knead. Set aside.
Purée the tomatoes with whole garlic cloves and strain, pushing mixture through sieve or large strainer with the back of a wooden spoon until only the seeds are left. Set aside.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or deep kettle that has a tight-fitting lid and sauté the chopped onion over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes. Do not brown. Add strained tomato purée and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the bouillon and cumin. Cook 2 more minutes. Regulate the heat to keep the sauce at a simmer (you should have about 6 to 8 cups of sauce; if not, add water or pure tomato juice). Strain puréed chipotle chiles into sauce one teaspoon at a time, and taste as you stir.
To shape meatballs, moisten hands and squeeze out enough meat mixture to form balls the size of ping-pong balls. Roll each one in the palm of your hand and drop them into the simmering sauce. Raise the heat and bring sauce back to a boil. Cover and cook the meatballs without stirring for 3 minutes.
Lower the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 30 minutes. With a spatula, turn the meatballs once while cooking, using caution to avoid breaking them.
Serve warm with corn tortillas or hot buttered corn bread or unsweetened corn muffins. White rice pairs well with this dish. Serves 8.