Paleo Southwest Meatballs in Tomato-Adobo Sauce

• Meat

  • 3/4 lbs Ground beef
  • 3/4 lbs Mexican chorizo, ground

• Produce

  • 1/4 cup Cilantro
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1 Onion, small
  • 1 tsp Oregano, dried
  • 1 can Tomatoes, with juice

• Refrigerated

  • 1 Egg

• Canned Goods

  • 1/2 cup Chicken broth or beef broth

• Condiments

  • 1 tsp Chipotle in adobo sauce

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 tsp Pepper, ground
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Olive oil

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1/4 tsp Cumin

Found on paleonewbie.com

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or beef broth
• 1-3 tsp minced chipotle in adobo sauce (adjust for your heat preference)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 3/4 lbs ground beef
• 3/4 lbs ground mexican chorizo
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus some extra for garnish
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, whisked

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF
• Begin with the tomato/adobo sauce youll pour over the meatballs before baking. Take a medium-size sauce, add the olive oil, and heat on medium. When oil is hot, add the onions to the pan and sauté just until theyre translucent, around 4-5 minutes – avoid overcooking. Next add the minced garlic and cook just one minute, then add in the tomato, broth, and the minced chipotle peppers. Simmer 5 minutes, then remove tomato/adobo sauce from heat.
• In a separate mixing bowl, add the beef, chorizo, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Pour over the whisked egg, and gently mix through with hands. Finally, form 12 meatballs – each about the size of a golf ball. Use only enough pressure so that the meatballs hold their shape – dont over-compress for best results.
• Take out a 9 x 12 baking dish. First add 1/2 the tomato/adobo sauce your prepared to the dish. Now place the meatballs on top of the sauce, and space as uniformly as possible. Finally top with the remaining half of the sauce – gently pour it over all the meatballs
• Bake in a 350ºF oven until meatballs are cooked through. Usually around 40-45 minutes, but cooking times will vary.
• Enjoy hot out of the dish with a veggie side, or serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.