Sopa de Albóndigas

This wonderful recipe is from my book A Gringo's Guide to Authentic Mexican Cooking.

Sopa de Albóndigas

Meatball Soup

We go out for Mexican food with our friends Ryan and Claire at least once a month. Ryan always orders Albóndigas soup, so I wrote this easy, delicious recipe for him. Give it a try. Who knows, it might just end up being your favorite, too.

Meatballs:

1 tablespoon long-grain rice

6 ounces ground beef

6 ounces ground pork

1/4 medium white onion, finely minced

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon dried mint

½-teaspoon Mexican oregano

1/4-teaspoon ground cumin

1/2-teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Soup:

3 Roma tomatoes

1/4 medium white onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-tablespoon corn oil

3 carrots, cleaned peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds

2 small zucchini, cleaned, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

3 cups water

3 cups beef broth

1 chile guerro, stems removed, and a slit cut in the side

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Put the rice in a little bowl or cup and cover with boiling water. Let the rice soak for 20 minutes. Mix all remaining meatball ingredients together well. Drain the rice and then work into the meat mixture. Roll into little meatballs an inch or so across.

Turn the tomatoes upside down and cut a 1-inch X across the bottom of each tomato, just through the skin. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Drop the tomatoes, one at a time, into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Remove from the boiling water. Allow to cool down a little. Using the edge of a paring knife, remove the core and skin. Cut in half from top to bottom, shake out the seeds, and dice. Set aside.

Purée the onion and garlic in a blender. In a hot soup pot, lightly simmer the mixture from the blender in the corn oil for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened and reduced. Add all other ingredients except meatballs. Bring to a simmer and then carefully add the meatballs. Simmer over very low heat for 1 hour, gently stirring now and then. If froth appears on top of the soup, remove with a slotted spoon and discard. When the vegetables are soft and the meatballs well cooked, serve with wedges of key lime.

Serves 5 to 6

Rocky Point Shrimp Cocktail

Rocky Point Shrimp Cocktail

My friend Ernie Bunch, the Vice Mayor of Cave Creek, has been coming to my open mic, about two or three times a month, for the past 12 years. He wanted my Rocky Point Shrimp Cocktail recipe, but said he will cure the shrimp in Key lime juice rather than steaming or boiling it!”

I told him that was a great idea. So, find below the recipe. This is a recipe that my wife, Chef Kathy, developed, after we went to Rocky Point Mexico about 20 years ago. It’s delicious and is just the right thing for those days, poolside when it’s too hot to eat.

Enjoy

Rocky point Shrimp Cocktail /Gazpacho

Just add Cocktail shrimp to below recipe to taste and top with 4 or 5, 6-8 (per pound) cooked shrimp tail on!

4 C Tomato juice

2 C Tomatoes, diced

1 Cucumber, peeled and diced

1 CLOVE Minced garlic

1 Avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

1/2 Green bell pepper cut into ¼" pieces

1/2 Large White Onion, finely chopped

1/2 Jalapeno pepper without seeds, finely chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

2 TBL Light olive oil

1/4 C Fresh parsley, chopped

2 TBL Red wine vinegar

1 TSP Fresh basil chopped

2 TSP Tabasco sauce

1/2 TBL Dried Mexican oregano

1 TSP Honey

Salt to taste

4 C Tomato juice

2 C Tomatoes, diced

1 Cucumber, peeled and diced

1 CLOVE Minced garlic

1 Avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

1/2 Green bell pepper cut into ¼" pieces

1/2 Large White Onion, finely chopped

1/2 Jalapeno pepper without seeds, finely chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

2 TBL Light olive oil

1/4 C Fresh parsley, chopped

2 TBL Red wine vinegar

1 TSP Fresh basil chopped

2 TSP Tabasco sauce

1/2 TBL Dried Mexican oregano

1 TSP Honey

Salt to taste

1. Put everything in a large bowl. Mix together allow flavors to marry in the refrigerator for a few hours. As we say around Cave Creek, go take a nap with someone you love. A few hours later the shrimp is ready and so are you!

Menudo

Menudo

If you've never tried menudo I recommend it.  The flavor is wonderful and, in this part of the world, it's the only cure for a hangover!  It can be found in good Mexican restaurants every Sunday morning.  What?  Oh that… well yes it's tripe… get over it, this is one of the true wonders of Mexican cooking!

3 LBS Tripe, well washed
3 White onions, chopped
3 CLOVES Garlic, minced
1 TBL Salt
1 TSP Whole Mexican Oregano
Water
1 28-OZ CAN White hominy
1 BUNCH Cilantro, cleaned and finely chopped
Fresh limes, cut into wedges
3 LBS Tripe, well washed
3 White onions, chopped
3 CLOVES Garlic, minced
1 TBL Salt
1 TSP Whole Mexican Oregano
Water
1 28-OZ CAN White hominy
1 BUNCH Cilantro, cleaned and finely chopped
Fresh limes, cut into wedges

1. In a large stockpot add the tripe, 2 onions, water, oregano, garlic and salt and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low all day (at least 6 hours).  Add a little water now and then as needed.
2. When the tripe is tender remove it from the pot. Cut into 1/2" cubes and return  it to the pot.  Add hominy and cook for 1 hour more.
3. Serve in large soup bowls with a little cilantro, a little onion and lime wedge on side.