Porto's Potato Balls Recipe
I'm a big fan of Porto's Bakery and Cafe and can attest that their potato balls are pretty much timeless.
Ingredients
For The Filling:
- 1 Pound Ground Beef
- 1 Onion (finely chopped)
- ⅓ Cup Red bell pepper (finely chopped)
- ⅓ Green bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 1/2 Jalapeno pepper
- ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
- 3 Garlic Cloves (finely minced)
- ½ teaspoon Spanish Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ¼ Cup Sliced Green Olives (drained)
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1½ Teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
For The Potato Balls:
- 6 Potatoes salted (boiled and mashed)
- 2 Eggs beaten with a tablespoon of water
- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1½ Cups Panko Crumbs
- 3 inches Oil (for frying)
Instructions
For The Filling:
- In a non-stick pan, Brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain the oil and place aside for later use.
- Add onions and fry for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Stir in bell peppers, black pepper, jalapeno pepper, and cumin and cook for about 2 minutes. Place aside.
- Add garlic, paprika, and tomato paste In a food processor and process for about 30 seconds or until well combined. Please make sure not to puree the mixture into a paste.
- Reserve one-fourth cup of Picadillo Filling aside and stir green olives and olive oil in the remaining filling. Place the filling in a Refrigerator until ready to use.
For The Potato Balls
- In a bowl, add mashed potatoes and eggs and stir until well combined.
- Stir in flour, salt and Panko Crumbs and gently mix until well combined.
- Roll the mixture into balls that are about 1½ inches in size. Put the balls on a baking sheet and let them chill for around 10 minutes. This will make the balls firmer, so the filling doesn't come out when you fry them.
- In a deep fryer or a pan, Heat oil over to 375°F. Add potato balls to the hot oil and cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Take out the Potato Balls from the hot oil and put them on paper towels. Sprinkle some salt on them. Serve the Potato Balls while they are still warm. Enjoy!