Cuban Potato Balls
Description
These delicious potato balls are truly special. They are filled with seasoned beef, then rolled into a ball of mashed potatoes, breaded and fried until crispy. Serve them as an appetizer or as the main dish.
Ingredients
4 large potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cubed
1 T. warm milk
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
1 T. water
1 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 small green bell peppers, finely chopped
2 small red bell peppers, finely chopped
1/2 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 t. paprika
1 t. cumin
1 t. dried oregano
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
vegetable oil, for frying
Directions
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Boil peeled and diced potatoes until fork tender; drain. Mash potatoes with salt and 1 T. warm milk. Don't add butter or oil; cool.
Make filling:
Heat a large heavy duty pot over medium-high heat; drizzle in the 1 T. vegetable oil; add ground sirloin. Break up beef; allow to cook and brown; when browned, add onion and garlic; stir; cook until onions are translucent; add green and red bell peppers; stir; continue to cook. Season beef mixture with Worcestershire sauce, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, cumin and lime juice; stir thoroughly; cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer to a bowl; cool completely.
Using a medium scoop, measure out a ball into the palm of your hand; flatten out into a flat circle with an indentation in the center; stuff indentation with beef mixture. Bring sides together; smooth out to make a round oversized golf ball sized ball. Repeat until all balls are formed.
In a shallow dish, whisk together eggs and 1 T. water. In a separate shallow dish, combine bread crumbs and flour.
Dip ball into beaten egg; roll in flour mixture until lightly covered; dip the ball in egg, again; roll in bread crumbs to coat thoroughly. Repeat until each potato ball is coated, placing them on parchment lined baking sheets.
Refrigerate potato balls 2 - 4 hours before proceeding to the next step. This is VERY important. You could also freeze the balls and fry them later, when ready to eat.
In a frying pan or medium pot, pour in enough oil to cover the balls. Heat oil to the frying stage, about 375º F; drop about 4 potato balls, not overcrowding the balls, into the hot oil. Cook about 2-5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn balls frequently to ensure even browning.
Transfer fried potato balls to a platter lined with paper towels, to drain off the excess oil. Move the balls onto a rack positioned over a baking sheet.
Serve immediately or cool and store in the refrigerator.
They can also be fried in advance and reheated in the oven when ready to serve.
Makes about 25.