Instructions: Its snowing here in lovely
*sarcasm rears its ugly head* Michigan, and I decided something warm is definitely in order. So, here goes something my mom used to make..

Albondigas: Soak bread in water, squeeze it dry, and mix with meat, egg, and seasonings. Shape meat into walnut-sized balls. Brown onion in 2T fat.

Remove onion and reserve. Brown meatballs.

After meat has browned, add reserved onion, tomato, more spices as above and cilantro to taste, and 4-6C boiling water. Simmer slowly for 1 1/2 hours.

For Soup: Mash tomato through a sieve or in a blender. Bring to a boil in a large pan, adding enough water to make 2 quarts of liquid.

Add chile pulp, salt and oregano. Boil down to about 3 pints liquid. Add albondigas, and simmer for about 1 hour.

NOTE: we like anchos for this, but pasilla or other dried pepper soaked in hot (not boiling) water for about 30 minutes would work well. Discard water, and process till you get a nice paste. Any leftover can be frozen for later use.

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