Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce - ground beef

Method

• Combine the ground meats in a mixing bowl.
• Add the eggs, oregano, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper.
• Using your hands, mix the ingredients until well incorporated.
• Form the meatballs by placing 1 tablespoon of meat in the palms of your hand and moving both hands together in a circular motion to form a 1-inch ball.
• Set aside and repeat until all of the meat is used.
• Put the flour on a dish.
• Cover the meatballs with a light dusting of flour by rolling them in the flour and shaking off the excess.
• Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
• When the oil is hot, add the meatballs in small batches, being careful not to crowd the pan because this will cause the meatballs to steam and not brown.
• You are looking to brown the meatballs on all sides but not cook them through.
• The meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Place the browned meatballs on a dish and set aside.
• Use this same panwith all the meat bits and rendered fatto cook the sauce.
• Make sure there is about 1 tablespoon of oil left in the pan.
• If there is not, add more olive oil.
• Combine the onion, tomatoes, chipotles, adobo sauce, honey, and salt in a blender and puree until smooth.
• Place the saute pan used to brown the meatballs over medium-high heat and add the pureed sauce.
• Be careful because the sauce most likely will splatter.
• Cook the sauce for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
• Add the meatballs and cook for 10 minutes.
• The meatballs can sit in the sauce until you are ready to serve them.
• Just turn off the heat and cover the pan.
• Because the sauce may be a bit spicy for some, serve the meatballs with Homemade Mexican Crema to tame the heat.
• Garnish with sprigs of cilantro and crispy strips of tortilla.
• INGREDIENTS
• Canned Chipotles
• You can adjust the spiciness of this sauce by adding more or fewer chipotle chiles and removing their seeds (the seeds are what contribute the heat).
• Ground Meat
• This recipe calls for equal amounts of ground pork and beef.
• Feel free to use any combination of ground meat.
• You even can use ground turkey, if you like.
• Just remember that ground turkey breast is much lower in fat than other ground meats and will produce a drier meatball.
• TECHNIQUES
• Browning the Meatballs
• The light coating of flour will help create a thin crust around the meatballs when you saute them in oil.
• Just make sure to coat them right before cooking, otherwise the meat will absorb the flour and you will not achieve the proper texture.
• ADVANCE PREPARATION
• This recipe can be made a day in advance and reheated.