Albondigas en Salsa de Chipotle (Stuffed Meatballs)

Mexican Dinner Recipes

2 large eggs 1 tsp salt 1/3 c dry breadcrumbs 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef 1/2 lb lean ground pork 1/4 c coarsely chopped cilantro 3 1/2 oz queso fresco in 9 3/4" cubes 9 whole pimiento stuffed olives 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 c finely chopped white onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb canned whole tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped 1/2 c beef broth 2–4 canned chipotles en adobo, finely chopped sliced pimiento stuffed olives

Now that's a spicy meatball! A Mexican stuffed meatball to serve at your fiesta. Yield: 18 large meatballs Beat eggs with salt, stir in breadcrumbs; let stand 5 minutes. Add beef, pork, and cilantro. Mix well. Divide into 18 portions. Shape each portion into a round patty. Top nine with cheese, top the other nine with whole olives. Press meat firmly around the topping to form a meatball with the cheese or olive in the center. Heat oil over medium heat. Fry meatballs, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Drain all but 3 Tbsp. of fat from skillet (just enough to keep things from sticking). Add onion, garlic, saute 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock, chilis, boil. Return meatballs to skillet and lower heat. Simmer 45 minutes. Remove meat. With a blender (a stick blender is a great tool for this) purée the sauce to the desired consistency. Heat the sauce to boiling, then pour over meatballs. Garnish with sliced olives.

Submitted by Gretchen Grant
Contributed on: Tuesday May 11th, 2004 and modified on Thursday April 29th, 2010