Tomatillos are a member of the nightshade family, which includes New World tomatoes and potatoes and such Old World relatives as eggplants. Although those wide-ranging kin have become familiar around the globe, tomatillos remain something of a country cousin, not much appreciated or grown outside Mexico and its neighbors to the south in Central and South America and to the north in California and the American Southwest. Tomatillos are an everyday must in Mexican cooking and dining, however, especially for one of Mexico’s great table sauces, salsa verde. Here the sauce, usually used as a dip for tortilla chips, becomes the medium for simmering meatballs. Make this recipe in summer, when tomatillos are in season. Canned versions are available, but they should be reserved for thickening chile verde and the like, much as okra is used in southern cooking.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Salsa
Preparation
Step 1
To make the salsa, combine the tomatillos, onion, and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand until the tomatillos are soft enough to pierce easily but have not collapsed, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover, let cool slightly, then transfer the tomatillos, onion, and 1/2 cup of the cooking water to a food processor. Add the chiles, cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and process until almost smooth. Taste and adjust the salt. Use right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Step 2
Place a heavy sauté pan large enough to hold the meatballs without crowding over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Add the meatballs and sauté until browned all around, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the salsa and olives, decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the meatballs are tender and the sauce is thickened, 10 to 12 minutes.
Step 3
To serve, in a small bowl, toss the cilantro sprigs with the vinegar and salt. Transfer the meatballs and their sauce to a serving dish and strew the dressed sprigs over the top. Serve right away.
