Meatballs In Chipotle Sauce

By Abigail Garcia

So…who doesn’t like meatballs? Especially when they are tiny, flavorful and stuffed with cheese? In Mexico, we use to stuff the meatballs with hard-boiled egg, but just thinking about cutting a meatball and having some melted cheese oozing out from it, makes my mouth water! Below, a chipotle flavor-full recipe. Buen provecho!

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb of ground lean beef
• 1 egg
• 1 slice of white bread moistened in some milk
• 1 tablespoon of Maggi sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1.5 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella in small cubes

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon of canola or corn oil
• 3 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
• 2 or 3 chili chipotles in adobo

Directions

For the meatballs:

1. Working with your hands, drain most of the milk from the bread and mix all the ingredients (except the cheese).
2. Make 1 ½ in balls with the mixture.
3. Flatten a ball and put a cube of cheese in the center, and then cover it with the edges, forming a ball again. Repeat with the rest of the balls.
4. Put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes so the meatballs set.

For the sauce:

1. Heat the oil in a pan, over medium high heat. Sauté the onion for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes. Take off of the heat, let cool slightly.
2. Put the mixture in a blender/food processor (careful! If it is too hot, it can explode), add the chipotles and the oregano. Blend until smooth.
3. In a pan, over medium-high heat, heat some oil and sear the meatballs on all sides. Add the sauce and cook until it bubbles a little. Cover the pan on low the heat, cook for 12-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are done.