Mexican Meatballs!

Albóndigas. Their story goes way back to Moorish Spain, where al-bunduq meant “little ball.” The recipe crossed an ocean, settled into Mexican kitchens, and slowly became its own thing: light broth, soft herbs, veggies and meatballs that taste like someone cares about you. Every family makes them a little differently, every region swears theirs is the real one.

You won’t always see albóndigas on restaurant menus in Troncones, but you’ll almost always find them in many homes—as comfort food, weekday fuel, the kind of dish people grew up with but don’t brag about.

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ALBÓNDIGAS DE RES: A DISH OF DIGNITY AND MEMORY

This is the dish my father chose.

It is also the dish my husband, William, chose.

I asked friends and family which of my recipes they love most, and many suggested others—but this one kept coming back from the two men who have shaped my life the most. That is why I am sharing it.

This meatball soup carries a story that goes back to my childhood, to the Mercado Municipal in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero.

When I was around nine or ten years old, my siblings and I used to help our family by selling food in the streets—chicken, cheese, bread, whatever we could. We would stop at Tres Hermanos in the market, where the original owners knew us. We often asked if we could take out their garbage, and many times they would give us leftover meat—good meat, still clinging to the bones.

My younger brother Marcos and I would carefully carve the meat from the bones, cleaning it patiently. We’d bring it back, and the butcher would grind it for us. That beef became albóndigas, made exactly the way I still make them today.

We also gathered vegetables that vendors were throwing away—carrots, potatoes, whatever looked usable. At home, my mother would wash everything carefully, cut away the bad parts, and cook with love and intention.

I remember how important my brother and I felt. We weren’t just children—we were providers. We had worked for that food. It filled us with pride.

Today, when I cook these albóndigas, I taste that memory. Not of lack, but of dignity, effort, and care. When I serve them to William and to friends here in Troncones, they love them—and every time, I feel deeply proud.

This is not just a recipe.

It is a bowl of memory, resilience, and nourishment—the kind that feeds more than hunger.

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MEXICAN BEEF MEATBALLS SOUP (ALBÓNDIGAS DE RES)

Homemade Kitchen Style

Yield: about 20 meatballs; serves 4–6 people

Total time: about 1½ hours

Cooking time: about 45 minutes

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INGREDIENTS

For the meatballs‍

250 grmas ground beef (sirloin)

1 small egg

1 carrot, very finely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

⅓ cup white onion, very finely diced

½ cup fresh spearmint (hierbabuena), finely chopped

¼ cup rice, pre-cooked until about ¾ done and well drained

¼ tsp powdered sea salt (or to taste)

½ tsp chicken stock powder

½ tsp freshly ground mixed pepper

A pinch finely ground chile flakes

2 pinches dried oregano

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Vegetables for the soup

(Use what you have; this is how I usually do it)

Carrots, cut into large cubes

Potatoes, cut into large cubes

Zucchini, large chunks (raw)

Cauliflower florets (raw)

Optional: sweet corn, broccoli

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For the broth

2 tbsp lard (manteca de cerdo)

½ white onion, diced

2–3 tomatoes, roasted (tatemados)

1 garlic clove, roasted

½ serrano chile, roasted

Chicken stock (homemade, if possible)

Salt to taste

½ tsp chicken stock powder

3 medium yerba santa leaves

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SPICE MIX (MOLCAJETE)

1 small raw garlic clove

2 pinches cumin seeds

6 black peppercorns

4 allspice berries (pimienta gorda)

1 pinch dried oregano

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PREPARATION

1.⁠ ⁠Make the meatballs

In a large bowl, add the ground beef, egg, carrot, garlic, onion, spearmint, and pre-cooked rice. Season with sea salt, chicken stock powder, ground pepper, chile flakes, and oregano.

Mix gently by hand until everything is combined. Do not overmix.

Form meatballs about 2 inches in diameter. Set aside.

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2.⁠ ⁠Pre-cook firm vegetables

Steam only the carrots and potatoes until just mostly tender.

Set aside.

(Zucchini and cauliflower stay raw for now.)

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3.⁠ ⁠Make the broth

In a large pot, heat the lard over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until deeply browned.

Blend the roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, and serrano chile into a smooth puree. Strain and add the puree to the pot.

Add enough chicken stock to form a broth. Season lightly with salt and chicken stock powder. Bring to a boil.

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4.⁠ ⁠Cook the meatballs

Once the broth is boiling, gently add the meatballs, making sure they are fully submerged.

Lower the heat and let them simmer.

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5.⁠ ⁠Add the spice mix

After about 20 minutes, grind the garlic, cumin, peppercorns, allspice, and oregano in a molcajete until fragrant.

Add the mixture to the soup and stir gently.

6.⁠ ⁠Finish the soup

When the meatballs are about ¾ cooked, add:

steamed carrots and potatoes

raw zucchini

raw cauliflower

optional vegetables (corn, broccoli)

Near the end, add the yerba santa leaves and let them simmer briefly until everything finishes cooking.

Do not overcook the yerba santa.

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TO SERVE

Serve hot with white rice or warm tortillas.

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