Ingredients
1lb ground beef
¼ c minced scallion
½ c cooked rice
1 egg, beaten
1T flour
1 clove garlic, minced
1 2 bunch of chopped cilantro or mint
1T dried oregano
Salt & ground black pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
Directions
Sauce:
2T olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 carrot, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping teaspoon flour
½ 14 oz. can diced tomatoes or puree
1T tomato paste
3 ‐ 4c low‐sodium beef broth (more or less, depending on how thick you like your sauce)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper (optional) to taste
Mix the first set of ingredients together well. Form into 1″ balls and set aside. Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and carrots until onions are
translucent, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1‐2 minutes more. Add flour and cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, salt and pepper. Stir very well. Bring to a boil, stirring a couple of times. Reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Add meatballs. Cook on a medium simmer (the liquid needs to be bubbling a bit) uncovered for 20‐25 minutes, turning the meatballs very carefully with tongs acer about 10 minutes. Serve meatballs in bowls with some of the broth, or as an appetizer in a dish with toothpicks.
NOTE: Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the meatballs in two batches. Just keep the first set warm in the oven then add back in at the end of cooking the second batch. Also, if the sauce ends up too thin, you can remove all of the meatballs and keep them warms in the oven. Then cook the sauce over medium high heat for a few minutes to reduce, and add the meatballs back in.
Country:
El Salvador
Notes and Instructions
Adapted from e‐book “The Beauty of Salvadoran Cuisine”
Somewhere between a soup and “Swedish” meatballs, Salvadoran style! Salvadoran food is not generally spicy – any heat is usually in the condiments, so if you want it spicier, add a little cayenne to the sauce, not the meatballs. Could be a passed hot appetizer served with toothpicks.