Ingredients
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
½ cup whole milk
Salt and pepper
12 ounces Mexican-style chorizo sausage, casings removed
12 ounces 85 percent lean ground beef
½ cup instant white rice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
1
1. Mash bread, milk, 1 teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt into paste in large bowl using fork. Add chorizo, ground beef, and rice and knead with hands until well combined. Pinch off and roll mixture into 2-inch meatballs (about 16 meatballs).
2
Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown meatballs on all sides, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
3
Add onion to fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano, chipotle, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and bay leaf, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker. Cover and cook until meatballs are tender, 4 to 5 hours on low.
4
Discard bay leaf. Using large spoon, skim fat from surface of sauce. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.