CHIPOTLE SAUCE MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Place the slice of bread and milk in a large bowl. Mash bread until smooth and add ground meat. egg, salt, garlic, and pepper. Knead the mixture with your hands until it is well combined.
• Form 1 1/2-inch meatballs, rolling a small portion of your hands. You should have 16 meatballs. Wet your hands with cold water before forming the meatballs to avoid the meat from sticking to your hands.
• Many cooks in Mexico like to stuff the meatballs with a small piece of boiled egg or cheese. Others even add a small piece of a Serrano pepper. To do this, press the small piece of egg or cold cheese into the meatball and seal by rolling the meatball again between your hands.
• Place tomatoes and Chipotle Peppers in your blender and process until you have a very smooth sauce. The amount given renders 2 1/2 cups of sauce.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and keep cooking for 3 more minutes.
• Stir in tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth or water if needed. Transfer meatballs to saucepan, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove lid and keep simmering for 10 more minutes. If your sauce is too watery, remove the already cooked meatballs and place them in a warm oven, covered with aluminum foil, while you keep simmering the sauce until the desired thickness is achieved.

ALBONDIGAS IN CHIPOTLE TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place ground pork into a large mixing bowl, making sure to break meat into smaller pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix by hand until all the ingredients are well blended. Don't overwork or the meatballs will be mealy. Form into 1-ounce balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place them closely together on a sheet pan. Place the pan into the top half of the oven and cook until the meatballs are just firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and drop into the Chipotle Tomato Sauce. Simmer 5 minutes and serve.
• Put the tomato sauce, chipotles with sauce and the rest of the ingredients into a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir well and place over high heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, being sure to stir every 10 to 15 minutes so it doesn't burn.

ALBONDIGAS AL CHIPOTLE (MEATBALLS IN CHIPOTLE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Make meatballs:.
• Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well with hands (or a wooden spoon if you must, but using your hands works better and is much more fun!) Form into medium-large balls (I usually get 15), and place in a 13x9 baking dish. Bake until browned, 15 minutes. Drain excess fat from dish.
• While meatballs are baking, make sauce:.
• Combine sauce ingredients in blender and process to a smooth puree.
• Pour sauce over browned meatballs and return to oven for another 20 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. We like the sauce nice and thick, but if you prefer a thinner sauce, add a little chicken or beef broth to it.