Shelly's Recipe

CHIPOTLE-PORK COCKTAIL MEATBALLS

Category: Meatballs

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced, plus 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tablespoons very finely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons finely shredded cotija or parmesan cheese
2 to 3 teaspoons kosher or fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomato
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put onion in food processor and process to a puree. Scrap onion into a large mixing bowl and stir in chipotles and their adobo, garlic, mint and cilantro. Crumble ground pork into bowl and mix well with onion mixture using your hands. Add bread crumbs, egg, cheese, salt, pepper and 3 tablespoons water and mix well. Shape mix into 11/2-inch meatballs, lining them up on a rimmed baking sheet as you go. Bake until meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Make sauce by sauteing garlic in olive oil until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaf and pepper flakes. Drain fat from meatballs, then add to sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Adjust heat so sauce is simmering and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. (This can be done 3 days in advance.)

Serve meatballs hot, with some of the sauce for dipping and decorative wooden picks or skewers for spearing the meatballs.

Makes about 40 meatballs.