Meatballs:
- 1 1/2 pounds of ground meat (I used turkey)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 t. black pepper
- 1.5 t. salt
- 1.5 Tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 t. ground cumin
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1.5 cups flour
- Canola oil for frying
Sauce:
- 2 chipotles, from a can with adobo sauce
- 1 onion, cut up
- 2 tomatoes (medium to large), cut up
- Adobo sauce from canned chipotles (spicy, if you want less spicy then use less sauce)
- 1 t. salt
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 t. pepper
- 1 cup of water or broth
Puree the Sauce
Add the sauce ingredients to a blender and puree until its smooth.
Form the Meatballs and Brown
Heat a tablespoon or two of oil.
In a large bowl, add the ground meat and seasoning, sans the flour and oil. Using your hands form 1-inch diameter meatballs then lightly dust with the flour. Add the flour-dusted meatballs to a 5 qt. dutch oven and brown on the sides. Don’t let the meatballs cook all the way through as they will finish cooking in the sauce. Set aside in a large bowl and repeat until all are browned.
Lagniappe: Don’t overcrowd the meatballs in the pan as that will prevent them from browning. Also, don’t let the meatballs sit in the dusted flour too long, try to fry immediately after dusting.
Simmer Meatballs in Sauce
After browning all of the meatballs, add them back to the dutch oven and pour the sauce on top and let simmer for at least 10 minutes or until the meatballs are done. Beware that the pan will be hot and the sauce will splatter so watch your fire. The longer they simmer the spicier and more flavorful they will be.
