Albóndigas en Chipotle

You can call them meatballs but really they are Albóndigas.

My mom would make albóndigas at least once a month, as this was also a family favorite. It was usually a meal we would eat for lunch during the week. I remember coming back from school, going inside our house and already knowing what was for lunch since the aroma was so delicious! I also remember this dish being present throughout all my life. As a small kid, it was magic to cut the albóndigas and find stuff inside. My mom must have made a million albóndigas because she would still cook them for me well into adulthood.
I think I fully appreciated the labor of love that goes into this recipe the first time I made it. It has many steps and the first time may take a little longer, but I promise you once you got it down, it really turns into one of those dishes you can prep easily.

This very unique and incredibly flavorful dish will be a surprise to your taste buds. The actual meat in the albóndigas is flavored throughout with an interesting green salsa, and to top it off, there is a bit of hard boiled egg and rice inside each one!
Follow the recipe and you will have a great meal on its own. Get some warm tortillas ready and serve them with some black beans or rice on the side, your choice.

Albóndigas en Chipotle

1 kg ground beef
1 kg Tomatoes
1/4 kg Tomatillos
1 large white onion
8 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon powdered garlic
1/2 table spoon ground pepper
1/2 of a bunch of pepermint, remove the rough stems
1 slice of white bread
3 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup of milk
1/3 cup uncooked white rice
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Ahead of time, cook the hard boiled eggs, let them cool down so that they can be peeled and chopped roughly into small pieces. Set aside in a small bowl.

Using a large mixing bowl, prep the ground beef by adding powdered garlic, ground pepper, 1 tbs olive oil and vinegar. Set aside.

Remove the husk from the tomatillos and give them a rinse. If they are large, cut them in quarters. Peel the top layer of the onion and cut it in half. In a blender, place the tomatillos, half of the onion, 4 garlic cloves, the cumin, milk, bread and a large pinch of salt. Blend it until you get a smooth green salsa.

Pour the green salsa into the bowl with the meat. Using your hands (I recommend wearing latex gloves for this), mix everything until the meat, seasonings and salsa are fully mixed and evenly incorporated. Set aside to let it rest for 10 min.

Start making the albóndigas. Place a small bowl with the chopped egg and a small bowl of uncooked white rice next to your bowl with the meat. Set a large platter to place the finished albóndigas on as well. Grab a small amount of the prepared meat and using your hands, make a small 2-2.5 inch sized meatball. Use your index finger poke the center of the meatball halfway through so it creates a well. Take a small piece of hard boiled egg and a small pinch or rice and place it in the meatball well. Carefully pinch the meat around the well to close it and roll it gently to give that “ball” shape. Place on the large platter. Continue making the albóndigas until you’ve used all the prepared meat in the bowl.

Place a tablespoon of olive oil In a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once its hot, gently place a few albóndigas to pan fry. Leave them undisturbed for 3-4 min until they are slightly brown, using tongs or fork to rotate and cook on the other sides. Take them out and set them aside on a clean platter. They won’t be fully cooked, just browned on the outside. Do this until all the albóndigas are pan fried. While browning the meatballs you can also start the next step.

Using a large skillet (lined with foil) or a comal over medium-high heat, place the other half of the onion, tomatoes and 4 garlic cloves to roast. Turn them so they get charred all around. Place them in the cleaned blender with a pinch of salt and blend until smooth.

Get a pot large enough to fit all your albóndigas and warm a tablespoon of olive oil. Place a fine mesh sieve over the pot and pour the tomato salsa through it in batches. Stir and press the salsa against the sieve so that all of the clear liquid goes into the pot. Toss the solids left behind. Add chicken stock and let this cook for 5 minutes, stirring softly. Add the tablespoon of chipotle, salt and pepper to taste. Taste to check the seasoning level.

Gently place all the albóndigas in the pot, lower the heat to low, cover with the lid and let them cook undisturbed for 30-40 min. Taste and add salt if needed. You can also add more chipotle if you want to make them spicier.

Serve hot along black beans or rice. Get some warm corn tortillas and enjoy!

Buen Provecho!

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