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    Home » Appetizer » Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce

    Published: Sep 10, 2013 · Modified: Sep 9, 2019 by Lisa Johnson

    Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce

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    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please visit my disclosure page.

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    Wonderfully flavored Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce are the perfect appetizer and will definitely impress your guests, or your family. cookingwithcurls.com

    Oh boy, do I have a treat for you today. These Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce are absolutely amazing!!! Diane at Simple Living and Eating has created a new Food of the World Link Party that features a different country each month, and this month is Spain.....

    Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce cookingiwthcurls.com

    So I dusted off my trusty Spanish-style recipes book called "Tapas" and started searching for the perfect meal. If you have never heard of Tapas before, it translates as "to cover", but most people think of it as "small bites". They are cute little foods that are easy to eat while mingling with guests and holding a drink. The original recipe is written in a combination of weights and volume measurements that were very confusing, so I converted it the best that I could. During the conversion process, I made a few mistakes. You would never know it, these little meatballs were amazing.....

    Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce by cookingwithcurls.com

    Mistakes I made:

    #1 - you do not need to thoroughly cook the meatballs in the first step, you just need to brown them.

    #2 - if you could call it that. I used a small cookie scoop to make them easier and faster. I ended up with 21 instead of 30.

    #3 - I did not notice that you were supposed to squeeze lemon juice over them before you serve them. We thought they were delicious just the way they were, so it's your choice.

    How to make Spanish Meatballs:

    To make the Meatballs:

    Place bread in a bowl and add water. Allow water to soak for 5 minutes.

    With your hands, squeeze out all of the water and place in a large bowl.

    Add the pork, onion, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, egg, and salt & pepper. Knead the mixture together until it forms a smooth mixture.

    Spread flour on a large plate. Using a small cookie scoop (1 1/2 Tablespoon size), or floured hands, form approximately 21 meatballs. Roll in the flour until coated.

    Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add half of the meatballs, and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and set aside.

    Add the remaining meatballs to the skillet and cook for 4 - 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

    To make the Almond Sauce:

    Heat the olive oil in the same skillet that you cooked the meatballs in. Add the bread and almonds, and cook stirring frequently until they are golden brown.

    Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and boil for 1 - 2 minutes. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan.

    Pour sauce mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Pour in the vegetable stock and blend mixture until smooth.

    Return almond sauce to the skillet and carefully add the meatballs. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until the meatballs are tender and thoroughly cooked.

    Garnish with chopped Italian parsley, and serve.

    Wonderfully flavored Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce are the perfect appetizer and will definitely impress your guests, or your family. cookingwithcurls.com

    Part of the confusion stems from the recipe calling for "4 cups of lean ground pork". I bought 1 pound of pork, which would be closer to 2 cups...or so I thought. I am still not sure. The original recipe claims to make 30 tiny meatballs, so if I used half of the ingredients, I should end up with half the amount of meatballs. My version made 21 meatballs using a 1 and a 1/2" cookie scoop. Like I said, very confusing measurements!

    Even though they were overcooked, you never would have guessed it. They were still moist, tender, delicious and the Almond Sauce is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

    Enjoy!!

    Wonderfully flavored Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce are the perfect appetizer and will definitely impress your guests, or your family. cookingwithcurls.com

    Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce

    These wonderfully flavored Spanish Meatballs in Almond Sauce are the perfect appetizer and will definitely impress your guests, or your family!
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    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Spanish
    Keyword: appetizer, pork, meatballs, almond, sauce, recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 525kcal
    Author: Lisa Johnson

    Ingredients

    Meatballs

    • 1 slice bread crust removed
    • 2 Tablespoons water
    • 1 pound ground pork substitute beef, or turkey
    • ¾ cups finely chopped onion
    • 1 large clove garlic crushed / pressed
    • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
    • 1 large egg beaten
    • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    • sea salt & fresh ground pepper
    • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour for coating meatballs
    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

    Almond Sauce

    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 slice bread
    • ¾ cups blanched almonds I used slivered
    • 2 large cloves garlic chopped / minced
    • ⅔ cups dry white wine I used Savignon Blanc
    • sea salt & fresh ground pepper
    • 1 ¾ cups organic vegetable stock
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    Instructions

    To make the Meatballs:

    • Place bread in a bowl and add water. Allow water to soak for 5 minutes.
    • With your hands, squeeze out all of the water and place in a large bowl.
    • Add the pork, onion, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, egg, and salt & pepper. Knead the mixture together until it forms a smooth mixture.
    • Spread flour on a large plate. Using a small cookie scoop (1 1/2 Tablespoon size), or floured hands, form approximately 21 meatballs. Roll in the flour until coated.
    • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add half of the meatballs, and cook for 4 - 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and set aside.
    • Add the remaining meatballs to the skillet and cook for 4 - 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

    To make the Almond Sauce:

    • Heat the olive oil in the same skillet that you cooked the meatballs in. Add the bread and almonds, and cook stirring frequently until they are golden brown.
    • Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Pour in the wine and boil for 1 - 2 minutes. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan.
    • Pour sauce mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Pour in the vegetable stock and blend mixture until smooth.
    • Return almond sauce to the skillet and carefully add the meatballs. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until the meatballs are tender and thoroughly cooked.
    • Garnish with chopped Italian parsley, and serve.

    Notes

    • These meatballs are meant to be served as part of a Tapas Meal, not as a main course.
    • If you use a smaller scoop, you should get closer to 30 tiny meatballs.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 384mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 255IU | Vitamin C: 3.4mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2.8mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Adelina Priddis says

      September 10, 2013 at 1:47 pm

      I haven't made meatballs in a long time. This sounds delish with the almond sauce.

      Reply
    2. Diane Balch says

      September 10, 2013 at 2:03 pm

      These are stupendous. I never heard of an almond sauce on meatballs. Did you read the post that said tapas was once a law in Spain. No drinking while not eating! Well thanks for being part of our first voyage.

      Reply
    3. Consuelo @ Honey & Figs says

      September 10, 2013 at 4:20 pm

      I wouldn't have told you've made some mistakes, I mean, they look awesome, just like the meatballs we have in Spain! And, at least where I live, we don't squeeze lemon juice on them before serving... so I guess yours are typical Spanish 😉
      Great recipe x

      Reply
    4. Miz Helen says

      September 10, 2013 at 7:33 pm

      I just love your Spanish Meatballs and the Almond Sauce looks delicious. Hope you are having a good week and thanks for sharing.
      Miz Helen

      Reply
    5. Kyrstie @ A Fresh Legacy says

      September 10, 2013 at 8:24 pm

      They look fabulous! I love meatballs and like the idea of an almond sauce, not something I would have thought of.

      Reply
    6. Danni@SiloHillFarm says

      September 11, 2013 at 7:02 am

      I am intrigued!! Pinning this one to try!

      Reply
    7. tanya says

      September 11, 2013 at 8:33 am

      I'm inspired to make meatballs again! I tend to get lazy when it comes to meatballs. The sauce sounds fantastic!

      Reply
    8. Andi says

      September 13, 2013 at 12:25 pm

      Yummy...always looking for a good meatball recipe! I pinned it, and that's saying something since I find Pinterest challenging!

      -andi

      Reply
    9. Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen says

      September 18, 2013 at 11:56 am

      Cute new look to your blog!!! Thanks for linking to Show Me Your Plaid Monday's!

      Reply
    10. Carrie @ Frugal Foodie Mama says

      September 18, 2013 at 7:07 pm

      These look so tasty, Lisa! And I love the flavor combinations in these. 🙂

      Reply
    11. Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later! says

      September 26, 2013 at 1:39 pm

      Mmm! I love meatballs & these sound so tasty! I love your site design...it's newer right? It looks fab! Thanks for sharing at Sweet & Savory Saturdays #31.

      ~Amber @ DessertNowDinnerLater.com

      Reply

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