Albóndigas (meatballs) are often served in a soup or a sauce, but our skewered version needs only a squeeze of refreshing lime juice to bring out their meaty richness. Spicy chipotle, crumbled bacon, and a hint of cumin make them unforgettable.
Meatballs can be formed and skewered, but not cooked, 1 day ahead and chilled.
Recipe information
Total Time
40 min
Yield
Makes 8 (hors d'oeuvres)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Stir together milk and bread crumbs in a large bowl.
Step 2
Cook bacon in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Step 3
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook onion, garlic, chipotles, cumin, and oregano in skillet, stirring, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add water and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until water has evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir into bread crumb mixture, then add ground meats, egg, parsley, bacon, and 1 teaspoon salt and mix well with your hands.
Step 4
Preheat broiler.
Step 5
Form scant tablespoons of meat mixture into balls and thread 3 balls 1/2 inch apart onto each skewer, arranging skewers on a lightly oiled broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat (do not turn) until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
