Name: Giant cheese-stuffed Mexican meatballs
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 1kg beef mince; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tsp ground cumin; 200g mozzarella block, grated, plus extra to sprinkle over; 200g mature cheddar, grated, plus extra to sprinkle over; 2 dried ancho chillies; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 tbsp chipotle paste; 2 x 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes; 50g dark chocolate, grated; to serve cooked rice; a large bunch coriander, finely chopped; 3 limes, juiced; ½ red onion, finely chopped; 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

Giant Cheesy Mexican Meatballs Recipe with Rice

1kg beef mince
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cumin
200g mozzarella block
grated, plus extra to sprinkle over
200g mature cheddar
grated, plus extra to sprinkle over
2 dried ancho chillies
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions
finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
finely chopped
1 tbsp chipotle paste
2 x 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes
50g dark chocolate
grated
to serve cooked rice

CORIANDER SALSA

a large bunch coriander
finely chopped
3 limes
juiced
½ red onion
finely chopped
2 green chillies
deseeded and finely chopped

Method

step 1
Tip the beef into a bowl with the cinnamon and cumin, season generously, then combine well. Divide into 8 balls.
step 2
Combine the grated cheeses in a bowl and squeeze together to make 8 balls. Squash one of the beef balls into a flat circle and put a ball of cheese in the middle. Gather up the sides to enclose the cheese and use your hands to mould it over and into a ball. Repeat with the remaining meat and cheese, then chill the meatballs.
step 3
Put the ancho chillies into a small bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Drain, discard the seeds and stalks, roughly chop and put into a blender or food processor.
step 4
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onions and a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Tip into the food processor with the ancho chillies and add the chipotle, tomatoes, chocolate and lots of seasoning, and whizz until completely smooth.
step 5
Pour the mixture into a large, deep baking tray then nestle the meatballs into the sauce, ensuring there is a little space around each. Sprinkle a little more of the cheeses over the meatballs then bake for 45 minutes until the meatballs have browned and the sauce has thickened.
step 6
Put all of the salsa ingredients in a bowl, season well and mix. Serve the meatballs with rice, if you like, and the coriander salsa to spoon over.