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Mexican Albondigas en Chipotle

Clearly, while I tagged this a venison recipe pretty much any ground meat will work here. Just make sure it has been ground with some fat or your meatballs will be sad and dry. Other than that, this is a dead-easy recipe. Only thing even remotely challenging is finding the chipotles in adobo, but every Latin market in America sells it, as do most larger supermarkets. In a pinch, you could buy chipotles in adobo online.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 653 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

MEATBALLS
  • 2 pounds ground venison, duck, or other meat
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons dried mint
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Bacon fat, lard, or oil for frying
SAUCE
  • 2 tablespoons lard, bacon fat or oil
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups tomato puree
  • 2 cups broth, chicken, duck, venison, whatever
  • 3 to 6 chipotles in adobo, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • salt to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Put all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix with your very clean hands until the mixture comes together. Don't overwork the mix or the meatballs will get tough. Roll into meatballs of whatever size you want. I like to make them by the tablespoon. If you have the time, let the meatballs sit in the fridge for up to an hour; this helps them stay together.
  2. Brown the meatballs in the bacon fat, lard, or oil. Set aside once browned.
  3. If you browned the meatballs in a large enough pan to hold all of them, drain all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat and keep using that pan. Otherwise, get a pot or pan large enough to hold all the meatballs and heat 2 tablespoons of fat in it. Cook the onions in this until soft and browned at the edges, about 10 minutes. Stir from time to time. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
  4. Add the spices, chipotles, broth and tomato and mix well. Nestle the meatballs into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Eat with rice or by themselves as an appetizer.

Notes

  • Serve this with rice, or by itself as an appetizer.

Nutrition Information

Calories 653kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 41g (14%) Protein 62g (124%) Fat 27g (42%) Saturated Fat 13g (65%) Cholesterol 278mg (93%) Sodium 1833mg (76%) Potassium 1621mg (46%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 1593IU (32%) Vitamin C 18mg (20%) Calcium 170mg (17%) Iron 13mg (72%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 653

% Daily Value*

Calories 653kcal 33%
Carbohydrates 41g 14%
Protein 62g 124%
Fat 27g 42%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 278mg 93%
Sodium 1833mg 76%
Potassium 1621mg 34%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 1593IU 32%
Vitamin C 18mg 20%
Calcium 170mg 17%
Iron 13mg 72%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.