Nana's Albondigas

This is from a church cookbook called Heavenly Hash and the woman who submitted this recipe says that she compiled it while watching her grandmother make sopa de albondigas. These sound delicious.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Yields: 3 quarts

Ingredients

• For meatballs

• 1  lb  ground  meat
• 1 -2  tablespoon  chopped mint
• 2  onions, chopped
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1  bell pepper, chopped
• 1  egg
• 2  tablespoons milk
• 2⁄3 cup masa harina flour, mixed with water to make wet, like a stiff paste

• For soup

•  oil (for frying)
• 2  onions, chopped
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1  bell pepper, chopped
• 1  large fresh tomatoes or 3 -4  canned tomatoes, cut up
•  flour, to thicken
•  salt and pepper
• 3 1⁄2 quarts water
•  masa harina flour, to thicken

• Garnishes in separate bowls

• 1  bunch cilantro
• 1  bunch green onion, chopped
•  fresh salsa

Directions

1. Mix meat ball ingredients well and make 1 walnut size ball.
2. Using a large pan with cover, fry the onion, garlic and green pepper in oil until soft.
3. Take a small amount out and add to meat ball mixture.
4. Add tomatoes to the pan and fry some more.
5. Add flour and stir.
6. Add salt, pepper and water.
7. Bring to a boil.
8. Drop 1 meat ball into the soup.
9. If this rises to the top in a few moments, it's perfect.
10. If it's too hard, add more wet masa to the meat ball mixture and try again until it's right.
11. Form and add all meat balls.
12. Simmer in covered pot for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours.
13. At the end, thicken soup with additional moist masa.