Albondigas with Fresh Buffalo-Milk Queso Fresco
By: Tristan Guilbeault
Instagram: @tristangcooks
This is the first in a series of recipes highlighting the brand-new Amaranth “Primal Blends” available specifically the first two, elk and bison. Primal blends contain 10% up to 30% added organ meats like heart, liver and kidney for added protein, nutrients and flavour! They are very similar to ground beef and can be substituted 1:1 in your favourite recipes. I have taken on the task of figuring out what foods to pair these blends with. Due to the added liver and heart, the flavour profile of these blends is slightly more nuanced and iron-y, while the base of elk or bison provides a slight gaminess. Personally, I find regular lean ground beef can be a bit on the bland side, while these organ blends provide a more robust and diverse flavour profile. When using these blends try to think of sauces and spices that will be complimentary. That is exactly what I have done here with these Mexican-inspired meatballs or “Albondigas.”
In this recipe, I have added warm spices like cinnamon, clove, chipotle and cumin to compliment the iron-like flavour of the ancestral blend. I have also added breadcrumbs, beef tallow, parmesan cheese and buffalo milk to balance the lack of fat and ensure the meatballs stay juicy. This recipe features all Amaranth ingredients and makes a delicious appetizer or filling supper. Pair with spaghetti noodles, steamed rice, crusty bread or tortillas!
“Albondigas” are not just some odd fusion I have created. When you think about it Mexican and Italian food are quite similar in their “rules”. They are all about local, seasonal and regional ingredients and resulting in the creation of delicious rustic food. These meatballs are inspired by both cuisines, using ingredients and techniques that I have learned from each respectively. The only real difference between authentic Italian meatballs and the ones I have made here is the sauce, in Mexico they like to add root vegetables such as carrots or potatoes to create a more filling and nutritious dish. Fun fact, the famous Caesar salad which we all associate with Italy was created by Caesar Cardini in 1924 at his restaurant in Tijuana Mexico. Proving that my Italian-Mexican meatballs are not such a far fetch. These “albondigas” make for a fantastic weeknight supper or a great dish to bring to a family gathering or pot-luck. They work well as a rich appetizer or main and make a great meatball sandwich!
Albondigas with Fresh Buffalo-Milk Queso Fresco
Recipe from Tristan Guilbeault
Dietary restrictions: Nut-free, can be made lactose-free
Total Time: 1 hour 5 min | (Preparation): 20 minutes | (Cooking): 45 minutes
Yields: Feeds 6-8 people
Ingredients
Ancestral Meatball Mix
● 1lb Amaranth Whole Foods Primal Blend (I used elk, but feel free to use bison, beef, turkey, chicken or any other ground blends)
● 1⁄4 large white or yellow Onion, finely diced
● 2 slices old Bread, chopped (ends pieces work well here)
● 1 cup Peak Pastures Buffalo Milk (you can use other types of milk too)
● 3 cloves Garlic, minced
● 1⁄2 bundle of Parsley, chopped (save some for garnish)
● 1 Egg
● 1⁄2 cup Parmesan, grated (we recommend L’Ancêtre)
● 2 tbsp Beef Tallow, optional (we recommend High-Vibe Health and Bo & Marrow)
● 1 tsp Salt
● 1 tsp Black Pepper, freshly cracked
● 1 tsp whole Cumin seeds, toasted
● 1 tsp Oregano
● 1 tsp Cinnamon
● 1⁄2 tsp ground Chipotle
● 1⁄4 tsp ground Clove (we recommend Splendor Garden)
● All-purpose Flour for coating and frying
Salsa Roja
● 1 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes, (we recommend San Remo Organic, Bianco Di Napoli, Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted, Eat Wholesome, Bioitalia)
● 2 small or 1 large Agria Potato, finely diced
● 3/4 large white or yellow Onion, small dice
● 2 cloves Garlic
● 2 tbsp Olive Oil (we recommend Dante Organic, Earth’s Choice, San Remo, Maison Orphee, Phoephalis Organic)
● 2 tsp Chipotle in Adobo (we recommend Dos Amigos)
● 1 tsp Black Pepper, freshly cracked
● 1 tsp Salt
Garnish
● Buffalo Milk Queso Fresco, see below
● Fresh Parsley
Instructions
1. Begin by making the meatballs. Cut a slice of old bread into small 1cm cubes (staler the better, you can leave it out overnight uncovered) and mix with the milk. Chop the onion as finely as possible, running your knife over multiple times to get it very small (you can also grate the onion) and save the remainder of the onion for the sauce. Chop the parsley and mince the garlic. Grate the parmesan and toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium-low heat until slightly darkened and fragrant. Add all ingredients into the bowl, including the beef tallow (if using) and milk and bread mixture, using your hands mix until well combined. Shape the ancestral mix into medium-sized balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Add a 1/2 cup of flour into a bowl and add the meatballs to coat them, rotating until they are completely covered.
2. In a medium or large-sized pot add the olive oil and set on the stove on medium heat. Add the meatballs a handful at a time and brown on all sides, around 3-4 minutes per batch. Set the meatballs aside once done.
3. In the same pot add the remaining diced onion and minced garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and saute for 5 or so minutes. Next add the salt, pepper, chipotle in adobo and small diced potatoes, stir and cook another minute. Add the canned tomatoes and add 1 cup water to clean the can, add to the pot, stir, add a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs, reduce the heat to low and add the lid again. Let cook for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the potatoes are no longer crunchy.
4. Plate by adding a couple of meatballs to a bowl and top off with fresh-cut parsley and buffalo milk queso fresco. Serve with toasted sourdough, on top of spaghetti noodles or steamed rice, or with tortillas! Enjoy these delicious Mexican-spiced ancestral meatballs!
Buffalo Milk Queso Fresco
Minimum Time: 1 hour 15 min | (Cooking): 15 minutes | (Resting): 30 minutes up to 2 hours | (“Hang”): 30 minutes up to 2 days
Ingredients
● Peak & Pastures Buffalo Milk (Leftover from above)
● 5 tbsp Lemon Juice (we recommend Santa Cruz Organics, Earth’s Choice, Italian Volcano)
● 1 tsp Salt
● Cheesecloth
Instructions
1. Fill an appropriate-sized pot with the remaining milk. Place on medium heat, stirring every couple minutes so the bottom does not scald. Using a thermometer bring to 180 degrees Fahrenheit (if you don’t have a thermometer keep stirring and wait for the milk to hit a gentle simmer). Once it has hit the right temperature immediately add the lemon juice and salt and turn off the heat. Do not stir. After 10-15 minutes, the curd will have separated on top. Let the pot cool down for 30 minutes up to 2 hours. Strain through cheesecloth, reserving the excess whey (the liquid that has separated, more details on how to use this below). Let this cheesecloth hang over a bowl with a strainer or hang in your fridge over a bowl. If you are in a rush you can squeeze the liquid out instead.
2. The cheese can be left to drain for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 2 days, the longer you wait the drier and more set the curd will be (this is how hard grilling cheeses are made like paneer or halloumi, you can even add this curd to a mould to get the same shape). Add the curd to a bowl scraping the sides of the cheesecloth. Taste it and add salt as needed, it should be spongy, creamy and flavourful, but not overly salty. If the cheese is very dry add some of the excess whey and mix. For this application I want the cheese to be on the drier side, but make it very wet and you have just made ricotta instead. Add this simple cheese to elevate your favourite savoury dishes!
Buffalo Milk
The buffalo milk used in this recipe is produced close to Fort Macleod, Alberta. Buffalo milk is widely used in India and Pakistan, in fact, they make up over 80% of the world's production, followed by countries such as Nepal, Egypt and China. In these countries it is more common to see a water buffalo than it is a regular cow! The milk produced by water buffalos is known for its high protein and fat content, perfect for cheese-making; maybe you’ve heard of the world-renowned buffalo milk mozzarella? Both cow and buffalo milk are highly nutritious and provide a lot of vitamins and minerals essential to the daily diet, however, buffalo contains more per serving. In the comparison of 1 cup of raw milk here is how they differ; buffalo milk contains approximately 90 more calories, 5% less water, more than 2x the fat content and 1.5x the amount of calcium. Cow milk is nearly identical in both protein and carbohydrates. Buffalo milk is also high in phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and vitamin A. With its high-fat content and nutritional profile, buffalo milk makes an excellent candidate for making ghee, yogurt and even ice cream. Amaranth even carries great Buffalo Milk yogurt from McClintock’s Farm from Courtenay, BC.
Whey Uses
Don’t throw away that whey! The remaining liquid from the queso fresco (or any cheese) is called whey. Whey is a by-product of cheese making and is a nutritional powerhouse, packed full of protein and essential nutrients. Whey is most commonly used as a base in protein powder which Amaranth sells a great variety of. An easy way to use this whey is to make a smoothie; add 1 cup whey, 1 banana and 1⁄2 cup of your favourite berries and the result is a creamy nutritionally packed beverage.
In the kitchen, there are many more ways whey can be used. Boiling pasta in whey results in silky and more flavourful noodles. Use as a substitute for water in bread making or doughs, I have most notably seen whey used in pierogi dough. Another way is fermentation, having lots of healthy probiotics and nutrients can help kickstart ferments providing a suitable environment for healthy bacteria, adding whey to your brine will make your ferments turn out even better!
You can also soak and cook legumes in whey which will increase their nutritional value. I have a fried chicken recipe that talks about brine, the water in that recipe may be substituted with whey for an even more flavourful end result. You can even make a caramel, with 1000g of whey add 300g cane sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla, let slowly reduce over a couple hours and stir once it begins to foam, turn off the heat and use as you would like, I will be adding it on popcorn! There are many ways to use that whey, use a method I have described here or another one online, but don’t throw it out!
Offal Nutrients
The ancestral blends sold at Amaranth are nutritional powerhouses. Whether you want to go for more wild tasting with the Amaranth branded elk & bison mixes or more classic beef, turkey and chicken blends. They all include a mixture of organs, from 10-30%. The 30% will have the most organ flavour as well as the highest extra nutrients, while the 10% you won’t even be able to taste the organs! Try whatever you or your family prefers, but don’t be afraid to try something different, elk and bison are great local meats that people in western Canada have been consuming for 100s of years! When indigenous people went hunting for venison, whether it be deer, moose or elk, the heart was always the first consumed. They believed in doing so they would receive the animal’s bravery, agility and strength. Heart is very high in vitamins and minerals such as zinc, iron, selenium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. The next consumed would have been the liver. Simply fried or even eaten raw, liver is high in iron, copper, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, folates, thiamin, manganese, vitamin B6 and B12. Indigenous nations as well as many other cultures around the world consumed the offals first, which begs the question of why are they not more present in our everyday diets?
Substitutions
I have used the elk ancestral blend in this recipe but feel free to substitute it with any other ground ancestral blend mix. Amaranth carries elk, bison, beef, chicken & turkey ancestral (10%) & primal blends (+20%). If you want to stay away from red meat (and/or organs entirely), ground chicken from Bowden and Sunworks Farms may be used here, as well as ground turkey from Winters Turkey Farm. If using a fattier blend of ground beef like 80/20, the beef tallow may be omitted. You may use any variety of old bread in this recipe, just try to refrain from ones that include nuts and seeds because they will add odd textures to the meatball. For the salsa roja use any brand of crushed tomatoes carried at Amaranth, just ensure you have around 28oz. In the sauce itself, you can add any root vegetable as a substitution for the potato such as parsnips, carrots or even sweet potatoes.
Storage
The meatballs in the sauce will last up to 10 days stored in the fridge. To reheat add to a small pot with a couple tablespoons of water, cover with a lid and let go for 10-15 minutes, stir so the bottom does not scald.