Meals Matter

Meatballs in Chipolte Sauce

Contributed By: pm50x
EveryDay Food PBS Series

Excellent recipe. Quick, easy and delicions.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Ground pork

1 Medium onion, coarsely grated and squeezed firmly to remove excess liquid

1 Small zucchini, coarsely grated and squeezed firmly to remove excess liquid

1 large egg

1/4 cup Dried breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons Dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon Ground cumin

1 To 2 chipotle chiles in adobo

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 (28 ounce) can Whole peeled tomatoes with juice

2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

Cooked rice and chopped fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, combine pork, onion, zucchini, egg, breadcrumbs, oregano, cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix well with a fork. Form into 16 (2-inch) balls; transfer to a plate, and place in freezer until firm, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and chiles in a blender; process until smooth, and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the meatballs; cook until brown, turning often, 4 to 5 minutes; transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and meatballs.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add pureed sauce and return all meatballs to skillet. Cover; simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Uncover, and simmer until sauce is thickened, 5 to 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice, sprinkled with cilantro, as desired.

Cook's Notes

I also added some garlic powder or grated garlic to taste. This is excellent over rice, freezes well and leftovers travel well for the next day's lunch.

Recipe Comments

Commented by: pm50x

I am not a pork or hot spice fan. However, I was surprised how good this recipe was. Using the 2 chipoltes was spicy for me and too spicy for others so you could reduce this to one chile. ALSO, when you buy chiles in adobo you get a can full. My can didn't have a lot of sauce but it didn't seem to matter in the recipe. After I made it the first time I froze the remaining chiles on a piece of parchment and then stuck the whole thing (parchment and all) in the freezer. The next time I made this recipe I just peeled one off, tossed it in the blender with the tomatoes and it worked fine.

 

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Recipe Details

Total Preparation Time: 15 to 30 minutes
Ingredients: Pork
Actual Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Number of Servings: 4
Origin: Mexican & Spanish
Special Features: Quick to Prepare (under 30 minutes)
Make Ahead

Meal Type: Entree