Mexican cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Albóndigas en Chipotle

Ground beef meatballs with rice and mint, braised until tender in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 600 g ground beef
• 80 g round-grain rice
• 1 egg
• 1/2 bunch mint
• 2 onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 800 g tomatoes
• 3 chipotles in adobo
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 500 ml beef broth
• 3 tbsp oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse the rice under cold water and drain, finely chop one onion and two cloves of garlic, and finely shred the mint leaves.
2. Thoroughly knead the ground beef together with the raw rice, egg, chopped onion, garlic, mint, salt and pepper, then shape into about 20 meatballs of 4 cm.
3. Finely puree the tomatoes, the second onion, the remaining garlic and the chipotles with 100 ml of the broth until a smooth, brick-red sauce forms.
4. Heat oil in a wide pot and reduce the puree over high heat for 6–8 min. until it darkens and the oil separates at the edge.
5. Pour in the remaining broth, stir in the oregano, add the meatballs one by one and simmer covered over low heat for 30–35 min. until the rice inside is cooked through.
6. Stir gently, season with salt and serve in deep bowls with plenty of sauce – warm corn tortillas make a good side.