Lost Memories of the CDMX Cantina: Rodrigo Cervantes’ Meatballs al Chipotle

I have never actually worked an office job – the one with a suit and tie or 9-to-5 kind of thing. The closest I’ve ever been to that world is when I worked in a production company, back in Mexico, as a visual researcher. Now, I don’t even know if that company or role exists anymore. But it meant I was in front of a computer watching films all day, editing them together into a pitch for some ad or music video. It was alright, but I never quite clicked with the advertisement world vibe and the people around it.

The fondest memory of that time was when the whole office would go to a cantina for a Friday lunch in the centro to get drinks and eat the fiercest, spiciest, mouth-melting chipotle meatballs I had ever tried. 

It was a vibe because back then not many people would venture into cantinas; they were seen as low brow. The menu was long and traditional, the bar full of old liquors and drink concoctions only found in the depths of Mexico. At the end of the meal everyone would order a carajillo, a shot of coffee in some liquor and ice.

Sadly I can’t remember the name of the place, can’t remember the location either and despite looking for it on Google maps, I can’t seem to find it. Maybe one day I’ll try them there again. But, until that day, I’ll be making them for myself. Here’s my rendition, a tribute to that fond memory. 

RECIPE

Serves: 4 people

The sauce
2 guajillo chillies 
6 chipotle mecco chillies (or chipotle in adobo)
750g (About 8) plum tomatoes 
50g (⅓) onion
3 cloves garlic
100 ml chicken stock (or water) + 16g (2tbsp) of corn masa flour 
Save the remaining 50g of onion for sautéing for the sauce.

The meatballs
500g minced beef (aged if available)
500g minced pork
Pinch of salt 
Pinch of black pepper
2g Mexican oregano
50g (⅓) onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2 eggs
50g rice (best to use jasmine, arborio or bomba)
1 small courgette finely diced
4 hardboiled eggs

Method

Sauce
Start by peeling, deseeding and soaking the chillies in boiling water for 20 mins. Then soften the tomatoes in boiling water until the skin peels off a little and save the water for adding later to the finished sauce. 

Cook the rice in boiling water for 10 mins, drain and let it cool. You don’t want to fully cook it. The cooked and cooled rice will go into the meatball later, for body and texture.

Once chillies are soft and tomatoes skin a little loose, blend the tomatoes, chillies, garlic, ⅓ of an onion to a smooth paste and pass it through a sieve or colander to get rid of extra seeds or skins. 

Chop ⅓ of an onion and sauté in a pan over a dash of oil, once soft and the pan hot, pour over the blended paste and let it sizzle. Bring down the heat and let it reduce at a low heat for 10 or 15 mins to condense the flavour. Make sure to stir the sauce regularly otherwise it will catch and stick to the pan.

Once reduced slowly add the chicken stock (or water) mixed with the corn masa flour and whisk until it thickens a little if it is too thick add some of the water from the tomatoes. 

Meatballs
Get all the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix well. The courgette is a very OG, traditional way of preparing these meatballs and definitely the secret ingredient that adds texture, but also a little touch of pleasant bitterness.

(Boil 4 eggs for around 12 minutes from cold. Peel the eggs and cut them in quarters. These a traditional ingredient, but you can easily skip this step and meatballs will still be good.)

Portion all the meatballs mixture into roughly 60g balls this should give you around 16 meatballs.

If you are doing the eggs, flatten the meat, put the quartered egg in the middle of the meat and wrap it into a ball, give it a few rolls in your hand and voila.

Either sear the meatballs in a pan to lightly brown and / or put them straight into the sauce (making sure they are fully submerged) and cook for 30 to 40 mins. 

Serve with corn tortillas, rice and beans.

Rodrigo Cervantes is from Mexico City, but lives in east London with his family. He is head chef and co-founder of Bad Manners. Read more of his work, including his series of Mexican recipes, on Something Curated here.

All photos by Rodrigo Cervantes.