The meatballs are prepared with a wide variety of ingredients, including vegetarian options.
The Greek word pontikon can be translated as "pontic" and refers to the pontic nut or hazelnut . This term came to classical Arabic as bunduqah , which led to the Hispanic Arabic albúnduqa .
Culinary recipe
Thus we arrive at meatball , a concept that in our language refers to a meal . Meatballs are small balls that are usually prepared with minced meat mixed with spices, beaten egg and breadcrumbs.
There are many types of meatballs. They are generally made with beef , although there are also chicken meatballs and fish meatballs . Among the most common seasonings are cumin, paprika , garlic and parsley.
The recipes , however, vary by country. They can be cooked fried , stewed or baked and have a varied size. There are those who prefer small meatballs, which can be eaten in one bite, and others who opt for much larger meatballs that must be cut.
It is interesting to note that meatballs do not always contain meat . It is possible to use seitan or process different legumes ( chickpeas , lentils , etc.) to make these spheres that are accompanied with rice, noodles or potatoes, for example.
The breading
Beyond the ingredients we use to make the meatballs, both the meat (of animal or vegetable origin) and the binder (egg or agar-agar, among other options) and the seasonings , an important part of this recipe is the last layer , which, although optional, usually consists of breadcrumbs .
Returning to the binder, it is an essential component in dishes that need to maintain a good consistency after having mixed ingredients cut into small pieces , such as minced meat or textured soybeans. In the first case, the egg is the most used, since it offers a good union, especially after cooking, and at the same time adds its own flavor to the recipe. For vegans, a popular option is agar-agar , the main difference of which is that it is flavorless.
To bread the meatballs, if it is a recipe with meat, a mixture is usually prepared with egg and spices such as salt, pepper and parsley , although this varies according to each person's taste. Each meatball is soaked and then coated in breadcrumbs, which adhere easily. Vegetarian meatballs, on the other hand, can be soaked in soy milk mixed with lemon and cornstarch.
in sandwich
Meatballs can even be eaten in sandwiches. The meatball sandwich , also known as the meatball sandwich , meatball sandwich or albondigazo , consists of meatballs with tomato sauce between two breads. Sometimes cheese and other ingredients are added.
Although at first glance using a meatball to make a sandwich may seem impractical, given that it is a spherical food, there are other recipes with similar ingredients, such as the potato omelette sandwich. Bread is a food loved almost all over the world, which combines perfectly with any ingredient, and that is why the size or shape of the filling of a sandwich matters little, since the priority is to enjoy its flavor .
Among its many uses is mixing it with tomato sauce to accompany pasta.
Meatball
Finally, it should be noted that the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) recognizes the almóndiga form as valid. In any case, its use is not very frequent and is considered vulgar.
There are similar examples of recipe names that have been distorted in popular language, such as "cocreta" (note that this incorrect form has not been accepted by the RAE), instead of "croqueta." Since access to the etymological origin of words is rare, we learn many of these terms through everyday conversations, and many of them we never see written down . This is why mistakes are so common.