Albondigas en Chipotle (Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce)
By Nicole KonstantinakosPublished on November 11, 2023
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 white onion (8 ounces), cut crosswise into 1-inch rounds3 garlic cloves, unpeeled½ cup long-grain white rice 2¼ teaspoons table salt, divided 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh Mexican oregano, divided¾ teaspoon ground cumin, divided 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes 1 cup chicken broth 2 teaspoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce 1 bay leaf 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces6 tablespoons whole milk 2 large eggs 12 ounces ground pork 12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef 1 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Before You Begin
We prefer to use Mexican oregano, but Italian or Mediterranean oregano can be used. You can substitute 1¼ teaspoons dried oregano for the fresh, if desired. Use 1 teaspoon in step 3 and ¼ teaspoon in step 4, if using dried.
Instructions
- Adjust 1 oven rack to lower-middle position and second rack 4- inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place onion on prepared sheet and broil until top is well charred, 6 to 12 minutes. Flip onion, add garlic cloves to baking sheet, and broil until top of garlic is well charred, 1 to 4 minutes. Flip garlic and continue to broil until garlic is well charred on second side, 1 to 4 minutes longer. Remove baking sheet from oven and cool slightly. Turn off broiler and heat oven to 350 degrees. When onion and garlic are cool enough to handle, transfer onion to blender. Remove and discard skin from garlic and add to blender.
- Bring 4 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes. Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer, rinse with cold water, and drain again; set aside.
- Combine oil, 1 tablespoon oregano, and ¼ teaspoon cumin in bowl and microwave until fragrant, about 30 seconds; let cool slightly. Transfer oil mixture to blender along with tomatoes, broth, vinegar, chipotle, and ¼ teaspoon salt and puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. Reserve 1 cup sauce. Transfer remaining sauce to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and add bay leaf.
- Whisk milk and eggs together in large bowl. Add bread and mash with fork to create smooth paste. Add ground pork, ground beef, par cooked rice, 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
- Using your moistened hands, form rounded ¼ cup (or #16 portion scoop) portion into round meatball and transfer baking dish with sauce; repeat with remaining meat mixture to form 15 meatballs. Pour reserved 1 cup sauce over meatballs, cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until meatballs in center of baking dish register 160 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes.
- Remove dish from oven and let meatballs rest in sauce, covered, for 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to serving platter. Discard bay leaf and season with sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over meatballs, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.
Yield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
1 white onion (8 ounces), cut crosswise into 1-inch rounds
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
½ cup long-grain white rice
2¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh Mexican oregano, divided
¾ teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 bay leaf
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons whole milk
2 large eggs
12 ounces ground pork
12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Ingredients
1 white onion (8 ounces), cut crosswise into 1-inch rounds
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
½ cup long-grain white rice
2¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh Mexican oregano, divided
¾ teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 bay leaf
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons whole milk
2 large eggs
12 ounces ground pork
12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Ingredients
1 white onion (8 ounces), cut crosswise into 1-inch rounds
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
½ cup long-grain white rice
2¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced fresh Mexican oregano, divided
¾ teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 bay leaf
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons whole milk
2 large eggs
12 ounces ground pork
12 ounces 90 percent lean ground beef
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Why This Recipe Works
Albondigas en chipotle is a classic Mexican dish that features a smoky, spicy, chipotle chile–infused tomato sauce and tender meatballs. Usually the meatballs also contain rice. Our goal was to create a recipe with big flavors and perfectly cooked rice and meatballs. We used parcooked rice in the meatballs, a nod to the ingenuity of traditional recipes, which called for using inexpensive ingredients like rice to stretch the meat. Next, we focused on the flavor and texture of the meatballs. A panade, a mixture of milk and bread, kept the meatballs tender. Eggs gave the meatballs structure. To develop a rich sauce, we used canned fire-roasted tomatoes, which echoed the deep smoky flavors of the chipotle chile. The addition of cider vinegar brightened the sauce. Canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce was easy to use and provided heat, smokiness, and a bit of acidity. Covering the meatballs during baking ensured that they stayed moist in the oven.
Before You Begin
We prefer to use Mexican oregano, but Italian or Mediterranean oregano can be used. You can substitute 1¼ teaspoons dried oregano for the fresh, if desired. Use 1 teaspoon in step 3 and ¼ teaspoon in step 4, if using dried.
Instructions
- Adjust 1 oven rack to lower-middle position and second rack 4- inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place onion on prepared sheet and broil until top is well charred, 6 to 12 minutes. Flip onion, add garlic cloves to baking sheet, and broil until top of garlic is well charred, 1 to 4 minutes. Flip garlic and continue to broil until garlic is well charred on second side, 1 to 4 minutes longer. Remove baking sheet from oven and cool slightly. Turn off broiler and heat oven to 350 degrees. When onion and garlic are cool enough to handle, transfer onion to blender. Remove and discard skin from garlic and add to blender.
- Bring 4 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes. Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer, rinse with cold water, and drain again; set aside.
- Combine oil, 1 tablespoon oregano, and ¼ teaspoon cumin in bowl and microwave until fragrant, about 30 seconds; let cool slightly. Transfer oil mixture to blender along with tomatoes, broth, vinegar, chipotle, and ¼ teaspoon salt and puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. Reserve 1 cup sauce. Transfer remaining sauce to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and add bay leaf.
- Whisk milk and eggs together in large bowl. Add bread and mash with fork to create smooth paste. Add ground pork, ground beef, par cooked rice, 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
- Using your moistened hands, form rounded ¼ cup (or #16 portion scoop) portion into round meatball and transfer baking dish with sauce; repeat with remaining meat mixture to form 15 meatballs. Pour reserved 1 cup sauce over meatballs, cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until meatballs in center of baking dish register 160 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes.
- Remove dish from oven and let meatballs rest in sauce, covered, for 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to serving platter. Discard bay leaf and season with sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over meatballs, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.
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