Sweet-Spicy Mexican Meatballs

This is a great recipe! I've made this for special ocassions and those potluck lunches at the office.  This is really a very easy dish, but it does take some time since you make your own meatballs.  I have made it with pre-made meatballs and it does work if you want to do that.  The homemade meatballs have more flavor since you add some wonderful spices and raisins.

This is not your everyday Tex-Mex dish. This gives you a glimpse of another part of the Mexican culture.  Serve it with the Cilantro Lime Rice and fried plantains and you have an authentic south of the border menu. 

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of ground beef
1/2 lb of ground pork
1/4 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 onion (minced)
6 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 14oz can of tomatoes  (drained and finely chopped)
1 1/4 cup beef bouillon
1-2 tbsp chili powder (if you use 1tbsp, increase paprika by 1 tbsp)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cilantro (chopped)
1 tbsp mint (chopped)
2 tbsp of olive or canola oil (plus additional for frying meatballs)
2 sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped in bite-size pieces)
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl mix the pork, beef, tortilla chips, egg, half the onion, half the garlic, cumin, cinnamon and raisins. Mix ingredients well. Using a spoon, separate even amounts of the meat mixture and create into meatballs. In a pan, add enough oil to fry the meatballs.  When the oil is heated, fry the meatballs. Avoid overcrowding as you cook.  Once the meatballs are brown, set them aside.

In a food processor or blender, combine brown sugar, vinegar, tomatoes, bouillon, chilli powder, paprika, and the rest of the onions and garlic. Process until well blended. then add the cilantro and mint.

You can use the same skillet that you fried the meatballs. Use 2 tbsp of oil (remove excess) from the pan. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped sweet potatoes and cook until tender and light golden brown. Add the sauce from the food processor and meatballs.  Cook for approximately 10 minutes until the sauce is hot and the meatballs are heated  through. This gives the flavors a chance to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.