Albondigas in Chipotle Tomato Sauce over rice

Albondigas, Albondigas, Albondigas.... I think that word is hilarious trying saying it really fast!  Having grown up in the U.S. but in a very traditional Mexican home when I think of Fall I don't just think of Pumpkin, Chicken Chili but also Albondigas.  Albondigas (meatballs) reminds me of my childhood on cool fall evenings.  We would walk in the door after school and get a whiff of that yummy comfort food waiting nice and warm on the table for us. 
My mom stayed home (God bless her for her sacrifices she made for us) so we never had to walk into an empty house nor did we ever have to make our own dinner. It was always waiting for us nice and warm such a blessing!

Now I get to prepare this for my boys on this fall cool day. 

2 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 small onion, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
cubes of mozzarella
Chipotle Tomato Sauce, recipe follows

Place ground pork into a large mixing bowl, making sure to break meat into smaller pieces.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix by hand until all the ingredients are well blended.
Don't overwork or the meatballs will be mealy. Form into 1-ounce balls, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place them closely together on a sheet pan. Place a cube of mozzarella inside each meatball. Place the pan into the top half of the oven and cook until the meatballs are just firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and drop into the Chipotle Tomato Sauce and serve over Mexican White Rice recipe here. Simmer 5 minutes and serve.


Chipotle Tomato Sauce:
2 (28-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup canned chipotles in sauce (available in the International section of most supermarkets)
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-ounce unsweetened chocolate chopped into small bits
1 carrot diced
Salt and black pepper
Put the tomato sauce, chipotles with sauce and the rest of the ingredients into a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Stir well and place over high heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour, being sure to stir every 10 to 15 minutes so it doesn't burn.


Picture from Daily Green recipe adapted from Food Network