Meatballs are a very popular dish in various cultures, and each region has its own version and name for them. In Latin America, these small spheres of ground meat are commonly known as albóndigas, although in some countries there are variations in preparation that make them unique. In Mexico, they are usually served with tomato sauce; in Argentina, they are sometimes included in stews with potatoes or rice; and in countries like Colombia and Venezuela, they can be prepared in soups or with special sauces. Sierra meatballs, as their name suggests, are inspired by mountainous regions where fresh and aromatic ingredients are the stars, highlighting the use of dried herbs and intense combinations in their sauces. Incorporating mustard and Scotch whisky in the sauce provides a unique flavor, combining smoky and spicy notes that enhance the gastronomic experience.
Meatballs with mustard and whisky sauce from the sierra
How to prepare Sierra Meatballs with Mustard and Whisky Sauce
If you substitute ground turkey or chicken, season the poultry mixture with thyme and sage and omit the coriander.
To make the meatballs: soak the crumbled bread in the milk for 15 minutes or until softened.
Squeeze out the excess moisture and transfer the soaked bread to a food processor along with the egg, thyme, rosemary, and coriander.
Process until combined, then add the cooked onions, 2/3 of the meat, salt and pepper to taste, and process to mix.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the remaining meat, and mix with your hands.
Form thirty-two 1 1/2-inch meatballs, then roll the meatballs in the dry breadcrumbs, coating all sides.
To cook the meatballs and prepare the sauce: in a 6 to 7-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of butter.
In two batches, brown the meatballs, ensuring they are crispy on all sides.
When browned, remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate.
Add the shallots to the remaining fat in the saucepan and sauté for a couple of minutes or until tender.
Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.
Add the whisky and bring to a boil, scraping the juices from the bottom of the pan into the whisky, and simmer for one minute or until the whisky has almost evaporated.
Add the mustard and flour and cook for one minute.
Add 2 cups of the beef broth and bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly.
Add the bay leaf and simmer for a couple of minutes.
Adjust the seasoning and return the meatballs to the sauce.
Simmer the meatballs, uncovered, to heat them through and finish cooking while you prepare the vegetable garnish.
To make the vegetable garnish: in a separate 12-inch skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter.
Add the carrots, sugar, and the remaining 1/4 cup of beef broth.
Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until partially cooked.
Add the leeks, celery, and parsnips and 3/4 cup of water.
Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Uncover the skillet and evaporate the liquid over high heat until the vegetables are glazed.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve the dish: discard the bay leaf.
Serve the meatballs on a plate and top with mushrooms and sauce.
Distribute the glazed vegetables over the meatballs and garnish with parsley.
Serve with boiled potatoes or rice.
Ingredients (27)
- White bread
- Milk
- Egg
- Dried thyme
- Dried rosemary
- Cilantro
- Onion
- Beef chuck
- Salt and black pepper
- Dry breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil
- Unsalted butter
- Shallot
- Garlic clove
- White mushrooms
- Scotch whisky
- Coarse mustard
- Flour
- Beef broth
- Bay leaf
- Carrots
- Sugar
- Leeks
- Celery
- Parsnips
- Parsley
- Potatoes
Instructions (56 steps)
- 1 If you substitute ground turkey or chicken
- 2 season the poultry mixture with thyme and sage and omit the coriander.
- 3 To make the meatballs: soak the crumbled bread in the milk for 15 minutes or until softened.
- 4 Squeeze out the excess moisture and transfer the soaked bread to a food processor along with the egg
- 5 thyme
- 6 rosemary
- 7 and coriander.
- 8 Process until combined
- 9 then add the cooked onions
- 10 2/3 of the meat
- 11 salt
- 12 and pepper to taste
- 13 and process until mixed.
- 14 Transfer the mixture to a bowl
- 15 add the remaining meat
- 16 and mix with your hands.
- 17 Form thirty-two 1 1/2-inch meatballs
- 18 then roll the meatballs in the dry breadcrumbs
- 19 coating all sides.
- 20 To cook the meatballs and prepare the sauce: in a 6 to 7-quart saucepan
- 21 over moderate heat
- 22 heat the vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of butter.
- 23 In two batches
- 24 brown the meatballs
- 25 ensuring they are crispy on all sides.
- 26 When browned
- 27 remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate.
- 28 Add the shallots to the remaining fat in the saucepan and sauté for a couple of minutes or until tender.
- 29 Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.
- 30 Add the whiskey and bring to a boil
- 31 scraping the juices from the bottom of the pan into the whiskey
- 32 and simmer for one minute or until the whiskey has almost evaporated.
- 33 Add the mustard and flour and cook for one minute.
- 34 Add 2 cups of the beef broth and bring to a gentle boil
- 35 whisking constantly.
- 36 Add the bay leaf and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- 37 Adjust the seasoning and return the meatballs to the sauce.
- 38 Simmer the meatballs
- 39 uncovered
- 40 to heat them through and finish cooking while you prepare the vegetable garnish.
- 41 To make the vegetable garnish: in a separate 12-inch skillet over moderate heat
- 42 heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter.
- 43 Add the carrots
- 44 sugar
- 45 and the remaining 1/4 cup of beef broth.
- 46 Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until partially cooked.
- 47 Add the leeks
- 48 celery
- 49 and parsnips and 3/4 cup of water.
- 50 Cover and simmer for 10 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender.
- 51 Uncover the skillet and evaporate the liquid over high heat until the vegetables are glazed.
- 52 Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 53 To serve the dish: discard the bay leaf.
- 54 Serve the meatballs on a platter and top with mushrooms and sauce.
- 55 Distribute the glazed vegetables over the meatballs and garnish with parsley.
- 56 Serve with boiled potatoes or rice.