Mexican meatballs with chipotle tomato sauce recipe

Add a tin of kidney beans, rinsed, to the sauce with the meatballs if you like. Mexican oregano is stronger than Mediterranean, but you can substitute in normal dried oregano and a pinch of ground fennel.  

Timings

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves

6

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 600g minced beef
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano (available at Sous Chef)
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying

For the tomato sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, diced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2 x 400g tins tomato polpa (finely chopped tomatoes)
• 1 tbsp chipotle paste
• 2 tsp soft light-brown sugar
• 200ml beef stock
• handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus more leaves to garnish 

Method

1. Using your hands, mix together all the meatball ingredients (except the oil) and season really well, making sure the spices and seasoning are well distributed.
2. With wet hands, roll the mixture into balls about the size of a walnut in its shell. Put them on a plate or tray as you make them. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil for the sauce in a large saucepan over a medium heat, and sauté the onion until golden. 
4. Add the garlic, celery, carrot and chilli, and cook gently for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chipotle paste, sugar and some seasoning, and then take off the heat for the time being.
5. Heat the oil for the meatballs in a frying pan or sauté pan and brown the meatballs in batches. Set them aside as they’re ready. When they’re all done, and as long as the mixture in the pan isn’t too fatty and doesn’t have any little burnt bits in it (dislodge and pour out if so), deglaze the pan with the beef stock and bring it to the boil. Pour this into the tomato sauce and bring the sauce to the boil.
6. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, then add the meatballs and cook them in the sauce for a further 20 minutes. You should end up with meatballs in a fairly thick sauce. If it’s too thick add a little water; if it’s not thick enough, cook a little longer to reduce.
7. Check the seasoning and stir in the chopped coriander. Serve with more coriander, warm tortillas, quinoa or rice, slices of avocado, sour cream, grated or crumbled cheese (feta or Wensleydale), and wedges of lime.