Ethnic Recipes

Albondigas con Chipotle (Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce)

6 fresh, ripe tomatoes, halved
1 pound ground beef
4 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 whole cloves garlic
3 eggs
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
4 chipotle chiles in adobo
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

To roast tomatoes, grill or broil them as close to heat as possible, turning as needed, until skin is blackened in spots, about 3 minutes on each side. Cool.

When cool enough to handle, remove skins. Reserve.

Combine beef, bread crumbs, chopped garlic, eggs, 2 teaspoon cumin, salt and pepper. Cover mixture, and let chill in refrigerator.

In a blender or food processor, blend reserved tomatoes with chipotles, stock, whole garlic cloves, remaining cumin and oregano.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tomato sauce, season to taste with additional salt and pepper, and bring mixture to a boil.

Meanwhile, make uniform medium-size meatballs from meat mixture. Add meatballs to simmering sauce and cook about 25 minutes.

Serve as an entr?e over rice, or alone as an hors d'oeuvre.

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