Spanish Chorizo Balls

Name: Spanish Chorizo Balls
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 0.75 pound fresh chorizo, removed from casings; 0.75 pound ground pork; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 1 small onion, peeled and quartered; 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled; 2 roasted red peppers or piquillo peppers; 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce; 0.667 cup fresh orange juice; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Chopped parsley, for serving; Toothpicks, for serving

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By

Greg Lofts

Updated on November 21, 2019

Spanish Chorizo Balls recipe — Photo: Con Poulos

Prep Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Yield:

36

A tasty Spanish twist on the classic Swedish meatballs, these half-pork, half-chorizo meatballs are rich and tasty at room temp, or you can serve them hot in a fondue pot. Either way, you're going to want to serve them alongside plenty of crusty bread to sop up all of the delicious citrus-spiked tomato gravy.

Ingredients

¾ pound fresh chorizo, removed from casings
¾ pound ground pork
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
2 roasted red peppers or piquillo peppers
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
⅔ cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped parsley, for serving
Toothpicks, for serving

Directions

Gently stir together chorizo and pork in a bowl to thoroughly combine. Scoop level tablespoons of pork mixture; gently form into balls with dampened hands (do not overwork, or meatballs may be tough); season meatballs with salt and pepper and set aside.
Pulse onion and garlic in a food processor until minced. Add red peppers; pulse until minced. Add tomato sauce and orange juice; purée until smooth.
Heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high. When it shimmers, add meatballs in a single layer. Cook, turning a few times, until golden brown in places but not cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet (do not wipe clean). Add tomato mixture to skillet; lightly season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Return meatballs and any accumulated juices to skillet. Continue simmering until meatballs are cooked through and tomato mixture has reduced to a thick gravy, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with toothpicks on the side. (Meatballs can be made ahead; let cool completely then refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat in a small covered pot or saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring a few times, until gravy is simmering and meatballs are just warmed through, about 10 minutes.)