Paella de La Safor, (con albóndigas) hecha con leña...🔥 
La Safor Paella (with Meatballs) Cooked Over Wood Fire
For my beloved in-laws’ first visit after lockdown, I wanted to celebrate with something special! I bought a paella grill/barbecue to cook it over a wood fire. But with rain threatening, I had to cook everything inside and finish the rice over the wood fire outside—under an umbrella, haha. The rice picked up a wonderful smoky flavor from the wood, and in the end, it turned out delicious! What makes La Safor paella, from my home region, unique is the addition of meatballs—everyone loves them!
La Safor Paella (with Meatballs) Cooked Over Wood Fire
For my beloved in-laws’ first visit after lockdown, I wanted to celebrate with something special! I bought a paella grill/barbecue to cook it over a wood fire. But with rain threatening, I had to cook everything inside and finish the rice over the wood fire outside—under an umbrella, haha. The rice picked up a wonderful smoky flavor from the wood, and in the end, it turned out delicious! What makes La Safor paella, from my home region, unique is the addition of meatballs—everyone loves them!
Cooking Instructions
- 1
Place the salted meat in a pot and brown it. Add 4 1/4 cups water (1 liter) and cook in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- 2
Get the vegetables ready:
- 3
The meatballs
- 4
Prepare the vegetables: let the lima beans (garrofón) thaw if frozen, cut the bell pepper into small pieces, and slice the tip into wide strips.
- 5
Cut the flat green beans into pieces about two fingers wide and mince the garlic.
- 6
Grate the vine tomato.
- 7
Start cooking: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the meatballs. Set them aside.
- 8
Next, cook the bell pepper. Reserve the strips. Add the teaspoon of paprika, then immediately add the garlic and grated tomato.
- 9
Remove the bell pepper and tomato, and brown the flat green beans. Place everything in a clay casserole dish.
- 10
Now, prepare the wood fire and make a base of embers, adding thin branches as needed to keep the boil going. Use walnut, carob, and orange wood.
- 11
Pour in the meat with its broth. Add the vegetables, except for the lima beans (garrofón).
- 12
Add about 4 1/4 cups water (1 liter), until the liquid reaches the base of the pan’s handles. When it boils, add the lima beans (garrofón).
- 13
Before adding the rice, taste the broth and adjust the salt. Move the meat aside and pour in the rice so it forms a mound that rises about a finger above the water level.
- 14
Spread the rice evenly with a spatula, moving it horizontally under the broth. Once it’s spread, grab the pan handles with oven mitts and shake gently to even it out.
- 15
Now, distribute the reserved meatballs and red bell pepper strips over the top.
- 16
Add a bit more wood to keep the broth boiling, and once it’s boiling, maintain a strong simmer for 8–10 minutes. For extra flavor, add a few sprigs of rosemary, removing them after a short boil before the leaves fall off and spread through the pan.
- 17
Then, remove some wood to lower the heat, making sure the boil is even across the pan.
- 18
After another 10 minutes, the broth should be absorbed and you’ll hear a slight sizzling sound—this means a thin, crispy layer of rice (socarrat) is forming on the bottom.
- 19
The paella is ready to eat! Enjoy it under the shade of a hackberry tree.
- 20
You can eat straight from the pan with wooden spoons or serve it on plates. Some people like a squeeze of lemon, but I think lemon takes away from the rice’s flavor. We toasted to everyone’s health! Enjoy!
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