Albondigas (meatballs):
1 lb. ground beef (500gr)
1/3 cup breadcrumbs (42gr)
1/4 cup milk (60ml)
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. vegetable oil (30ml)
Fideo (noodles):
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (15ml)
1 medium onion, chopped
7oz. fideo (vermicelli noodles) (200gr)
4 cups chicken stock (1L)
1 ripe medium, tomato, peeled seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small potato, peeled and cut into ½”/1cm cubes (optional)
1 fresh chile serrano (optional)
Cilantro for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish
Place the ground beef in a bowl along with the breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt and pepper. Stir or knead together with your hands until well combined. Divide into 16 portions and roll into meatballs.
Once the meatballs are formed, heat 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a 4 qt. Dutch oven (4lt.) Place the meatballs in the Dutch oven and brown over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and brown for another 5 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pan, and place on a clean platter.
Add the remaining tbsp. of vegetable oil to the Dutch oven. Add the onion and fideo. Brown and toss until the fideo is golden and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients along with the browned meatballs, cover and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. (If adding the potato, make sure it has cooked enough to easily be pierced with a fork.) Garnish with cilantro and serve lime wedges on the side.
This is for a drier verson of fideo. If you want a soupier version, simply double the amount of added broth.