Albondigas, No shortcuts

Another installment in my Insufferable Le Creuset series of vat o' food recipes.

Ingredients:

For meatballs:

- 2 lbs fatty ground beef

- 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped)

- 3/4 onion (chopped)

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1 tsp cumin

- 2 tsp oregano

- Salt 'n pepa

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup raw rice

Soup base:

- 4 tomatoes (ripe on a vine, or roma)

- 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

- 1/4 onion (chopped)

- 6 cloves garlic

- 1 tbsp tomato bouillon

- 1 tsp oregano

- 3 tsp chicken bouillon

- 4 cups water

Soup:

- 3 carrots

- 3 red potatoes

- 1 zucchini

- fresh or frozen corn

- 5 cups water

- 4 tsp chicken bouillon

- Salt 'n pepa

Start by making the meatballs: slop all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix it all together with your hands until evenly mixed. Roll into golf ball sized meatballs. Set aside.

Next, make the soup base. In a food processor, put 1 cup of water, and all the rest of the ingredients. Whiz them until they are a nice liquid. Pour into your Le Creuset and act insufferably smug. Use the remaining 3 cups of water to rinse all the residue left in the food processor into the pot. Turn the heat on high.

Add 5 more cups of water to the pot, plus 4 tsp chicken bouillon. When all of it starts boiling, gently slip the meatballs into the pot and simmer gently for 15 minutes (may need to turn down the heat). Dice up the potatoes and carrots, add into the pot, and cook another 15 min. Finally, add the sliced zucchini and corn and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt 'n pepa, then turn the heat off. Serve with Arroz Rojo