Meatballs cuban style

I remember for many years my grandmother preparing meatballs, very simple to make.

Meatballs Recipe

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. sausage meat
1 egg
2 table spoons bread crumbs (I use Italian style, if I don't have any other).
3 garlic cloves minced
Salt and Pepper

Add the ground beef, ground pork and sausage meat, the egg, bread crumbs and minced garlic cloves and mix all together, make sure all ingredients incorporate well together before preparing the actual meatballs.  There is no other way to prepare the meat balls than just picking up the mixture with your hands and roll into small balls, by the way I prefer smaller meatballs because they cook much easier and faster too.

Sofrito Recipe

1 small onion
5 garlic cloves smashed
1 small tomato paste can
1/2 bell pepper (any color will do, I prefer the red ones)
2 table spoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dash of Cumin powder
Salt and Pepper

Heat sauce pan (high heat) and add Olive Oil, saute the onion until translucent, add garlic, bell pepper, salt, black pepper and cumin and cook for about 3 minutes, add tomato paste and let all the ingredients cook for about 10 minutes at med-low heat, stirring regularly.

To cook the meatballs with the Sofrito base you will need the following ingredients;

2 table spoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup of Cooking wine
Sofrito base

In a medium sauce pan at high heat add the Olive Oil, add the meatballs and allow to sear by turning them in all sides, lower the heat to medium and add the cooking wine, cover and let it steam for about 8 minutes.  Add the sofrito base and let it cook for 30 minutes.  Serve with white rice and platanitos or tostones.


Bon Apetit!!!
Enjoy!!!