Mexican-Style Meatballs

This recipe was inspired by meatballs Iron Chef Bobby Flay made on the Food Network a couple weeks ago. The sauce is my own invention. The meatballs use Mexican-style chorizo sausage. This is a distinct product from the chorizo of Spain and Portugal. Unlike the Iberian versions, Mexican chorizo is not cured and must be cooked before eating.

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 links Mexican-style chorizo
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Olive oil

Sauce

• 1 1/2 red bell peppers
• 2 red finger chiles
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• Water
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Crumbled queso fresco

Instructions

Meatballs

Decase the chorizo and mix the three meats together. Mix in egg, cumin, paprika and garlic powder. Slowly work the breadcrumbs into the meat mixture. Form into meatballs about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, then add chicken stock, cover, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the stock is partially absorbed.

Sauce

Place the peppers in a baking pan and broil until blackened on all sides. Let cool for a few minutes. Peel off the blackened skin and remove stems and seeds. Place roasted peppers, garlic, and onion in a blender and puree. Add the pepper puree, tomato paste, a little olive oil, and some water to a pan. Cook on high until the strong raw onion and garlic taste goes away and is replaced by slight sweetness. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To compose the dish, top each meatball with sauce and crumbled queso fresco.