Albóndigas en Salsa de Chipotle (Beef Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce)

Meatballs and sauce

• 1 medium Yellow onion
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 Chipotle pepper, dried
• 400 g Canned tomatoes
• 300 ml Chicken stock
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 500 g Minced beef
• 1 Egg
• 60 g Breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper

To serve

• 250 g Long-grain white rice
• 15 g Fresh coriander

1. Put the rice in a saucepan with a pinch of fine sea salt and enough water to cover by about 2 cm. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and leave, covered, for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, roughly chop the onion and peel the garlic. Toast the chipotle pepper in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, then tip into a blender. Add the canned tomatoes and chicken stock, then blend until smooth.
3. Finely chop a small handful of the onion and set it aside for the meatballs; keep the rest for the sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine the minced beef, egg, breadcrumbs, the reserved onion, 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix just until combined, then roll into 16 meatballs.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches for 5 to 7 minutes total, turning to colour all over; they do not need to be cooked through yet. Transfer to a plate.
5. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining onion to the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the blended tomato and chipotle sauce and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are cooked through. Season with the remaining fine sea salt and black pepper to taste. Roughly chop the fresh coriander.
7. Fluff the rice with a fork and divide between plates. Spoon over the meatballs and plenty of sauce, then finish with fresh coriander. Serve straight away.

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