Albondigas con Chipotle
(Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce)

Ingredients

• 6 fresh, ripe tomatoes, halved
• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 whole cloves garlic
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

1. To roast tomatoes, grill or broil them as close to heat as possible, turning as needed, until skin is blackened in spots, about 3 minutes on each side. Cool.
2. When cool enough to handle, remove skins. Reserve.
3. Combine beef, bread crumbs, chopped garlic, eggs, 2 teaspoons cumin, salt and pepper. Cover mixture, and let chill in refrigerator.
4. In a blender or food processor, blend reserved tomatoes with chipotles, stock, whole garlic cloves, remaining cumin and oregano.
5. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tomato sauce, season to taste with additional salt and pepper, and bring mixture to a boil.
6. Meanwhile, make uniform medium-size meatballs from meat mixture. Add meatballs to simmering sauce and cook about 25 minutes.
7. Serve as an entree over rice, or alone as an hors d'oeuvre.