Essential Meatballs with Tomatillo Sauce

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground beef (80% lean is best)

1 pound ground pork

⅓ cup long grain white rice, uncooked

½ cup panko bread crumbs

½ cup milk

4-5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

⅓ cup  Cotija Polvo Cheese

¼ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Stella's Table Sea Salt Essential Blend

2 teaspoons Stella's Table Herb Essential Blend

1 teaspoon Stella's Table Pepper Essential Blend

For the sauce:

12-15 fresh tomatillos (raw weight should be 2-21/4 pounds uncooked, husk removed)

1 large yellow onion, , roughly chopped

1 bell pepper

1 Anaheim pepper, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons Stella's Table Sea Salt Essential Blend

1 teaspoon Stella's Table Pepper Essential Blend

¼ cup oil oil

Fresh lime (for serving)

Instructions:

Heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave for about one minute. Remove and add the breadcrumbs. Stir and set aside.

Add all the other ingredients for the meatballs into a large bowl. Add the milk and breadcrumbs and mix together.

Form the mixture into balls, about 1.5 to 2 ounces each. The mixture will make 24 to 27 meatballs.

In a large pan (with a lid), add 1/4 cup olive oil over a medium heat.

Once the oil is hot add the whole tomatillos, bell pepper, onion, garlic and Anaheim pepper.  Stir and cover with the lid and let cook for 3-5 minutes.  Uncover, stir and replace the lid.  Repeat this until the tomatillos began to break apart. This should take 20 and 30 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and add the mixture to a blender and purée. Return the purée to the pan and turn the heat on medium. You don't want the purée to boil, but you do want to see a few air bubbles popping through.

Add your meatballs to the tomatillo sauce.

It's absolutely key that you do not brown or cook your meatballs prior to putting them in the sauce. All the flavor comes from the fat and seasoning of the meatballs.

Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes.  

Top each serving with Cotija Polvo Cheese and chopped Italian parsley.  Serve with fresh lime wedges.  The lime brings out the flavors. 

Enjoy!