My son’s school has exploded with a new iPad Pilot Program. What an exciting time for our children …some parents were so EXCITED, we were jumping up and down …The 6th graders were given iPads and the traditional way of teaching is being challenged by new technology. For some reason, this reminded me of Portuguese Meatballs Recipe.
We have chosen a Catholic School Education for our family. If you know anything about most Catholics, we love Tradition. So to say that we always embrace change with open arms is quite a stretch. Let’s just say that not everyone was ready to throw the pencil and paper aside and start downloading apps.
One of our families favorite meals for Sunday Supper is good old fashioned Italian Meatballs. My family loves my Italian Meatballs…they are so yummy and we are so comfortable with them…we can’t imagine anything better Around the Family Table.
The Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… I’ve raised Foodies and we get sooo excited over a new recipe.
Recently I cooked Almondegas or Portuguese Meatballs and our Family taste buds were jumping up and down with excitement….
When I mentioned this new spin on Meatballs to some of my best friends who happen to be Italian, they were grounded in their tradition that Italian Meatballs are the only real Meatballs!
I explained that Portuguese Meatballs are delicious, they have Chorizo in them and the sauce is to die for… wine, garlic, chorizo… your house will never smell better… and you serve them over Portuguese Rice…
ahhh! Fugettaboutit it’s one thing to reinvent the Meatball but now you want to serve it over rice instead of Macaroni???….and a wine sauce instead of Gravy???… What? This is just nuts!
That’s when I realized there is a part of us that will embrace change and a part of us will always hang on to the comfort of tradition…
While I want my children to experiment and be open to new things… I want them to be grounded in the traditions we have nurtured in our home…
The table is set….whether doing homework on the iPad or breaking bread with our family… what matters is the Traditions that are grounded within our families and how we embrace the change that is inevitable in our homes and in our lives…
Did I mention that some of our friends are from Sweden… and they believe the Swedish meatball is the real Meatball?
Portuguese Meatballs
- 2 lbs. Ground Pork
- 1 Small Onion
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup Flour
- ½ cup Olive Oil (Portuguese if you can get it)
- 3 oz. Chorizo (2 small links)
- 2 small garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 Cups Red Wine
- 2 TBS butter
- Sea Salt to taste
- Finely chop the onion in a food processor
- Finely chop the the chorizo in a food processor
- Combine the Pork, Onion, Paprika, 2 eggs and half of the chopped chorizo
- Form into balls
- Add Olive Oil to large frying pan on medium heat
- Dip meatballs into beaten eggs
- Flour the Meatballs
- Brown Meatballs on all sides in batches
- When all Meatballs are well browned, don't worry about them being cooked all the way, remove from frying pan and sprinkle lightly with Sea Salt
- Remove Olive Oil from pan but do not wipe clean
- Add garlic and chorizo and brown
- Add Bay Leaves, Meatballs and wine
- Simmer on low until sauce is reduced in half
- Remove Bay leaf
- Cook Portuguese Rice and serve Meatball and Chorizo Sauce over the Rice
- A Green Salad and Portuguese Sangria or Vinho Verde are perfect for this meal.
A Green Salad and Portuguese Sangria or Vinho Verde are perfect for this meal.
Family Foodie Kids Ratings: Alexandra 10, Ronnie 8.5, Reis 9.5, Riley 10
Renee Dobbs - Magnolia Days
September 23, 2011 at 12:55 pmHow exciting for the school to have the iPad program. I bet a lot of kids wish their school did that too. Your meatballs sound delicious. Ground pork, chorizo, and wine. Oh my!
purrfectlee
September 23, 2011 at 1:39 pmI just might have to subject my fam to this one this weekend. It sounds Yumm-EEEEE!
Robyn Rasmussen
September 25, 2011 at 11:33 amWow! these sound delicious! Nothing better than delicious meatballs on spaghetti or in a french roll with mozzarella melted on top! yummy!
JoeyfromSC
October 18, 2011 at 11:19 pmyum! great blog you have here..met you at the twitter party for pork lol:)
Subscribed via email too!
I’ll stop by again soon!
BusyWorkingMama
November 10, 2011 at 3:30 pmI love paprika…the ingredients list looks wonderful. I’m sold 🙂
Family Foodie
November 11, 2011 at 3:21 amI love cooking with Paprika too! Adds great flavor!
baggachipz
May 17, 2012 at 10:28 amGreat recipe, thanks for sharing… your Portuguese Rice link is 404ing though. 🙁
FamilyFoodie
May 17, 2012 at 11:40 amThanks for letting me know! I will fix!
Lane @ Supper for a Steal
May 17, 2012 at 12:19 pmOh man these sound fantastic! I love all meatballs.
FamilyFoodie
May 17, 2012 at 1:07 pmThank you Lane! They really are fantastic!
fay
October 27, 2013 at 2:34 pmthe sweedish thinks they invented meatballs, just like the italian thinks they invented noodles.LOL
FamilyFoodie
October 27, 2013 at 5:44 pmThat is so true Fay!