Albóndigas de la Familia Ronstadt (Ronstadt Family Meatballs)

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Heat your broiler. Put the ground beef in a large bowl.

2. Step 2

   Broil the fresh tomatoes just until the skins can be removed easily (the skins will split and char in spots), 7 to 10 minutes. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and purée the flesh in a blender. There should be about 1½ cups.

3. Step 3

   Add the mint, cilantro, scallion, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper to the meat; mix well. Add the tomato purée and knead the mixture until incorporated.

4. Step 4

   Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the oil or melted lard to the meat mixture, incorporating it by kneading. The mass should be neither dry nor too liquid. Test the mixture by forming a piece into a ball the size of a walnut. It should hold together.

5. Step 5

   Proceed to form walnut-size balls, and then drop a few at a time into the boiling water. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until all the meatballs are cooked through. Serve the meatballs in the liquid in which they were cooked, with lime wedges on the side.