Create layers of flavour in this simple, Mexican-inspired dish that can be served with rice, pasta or boiled potatoes.
Ingredients
300g beef mince
300g pork mince
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
1 tbsp milk
extra virgin olive oil
manchego or pecorino cheese, to serve
Sauce
4 ripe tomatoes
2 chillies from a can of chipotle chillies in adobo sauce, strained, plus 1 tsp of the strained sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup chicken stock
Method
To make the sauce, place the tomatoes, chillies plus 1 tsp of their sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt in a blender.
Add the chicken stock and process until quite smooth.
To make the meatballs, place the beef, pork, cumin, garlic, 1 tsp salt and a grind of pepper in a bowl.
Mix well, then stir in the breadcrumbs, eggs and milk.
To check the seasoning, cook a small amount of mixture and taste it.
Form the mince mixture into small balls about the diameter of a 20-cent piece.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat with a splash of olive oil.
Add the meatballs and brown gently for 2 minutes.
Add the sauce and cook gently for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce starts to thicken.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the sauce has reduced to about half its original volume and coats the meatballs.
To serve, spoon the meatballs onto a serving plate, and grate a little manchego or pecorino over the top.
Correction: The quanitity of the chipotle chillies in adobo sauce has been clarified from the original version of this piece.