Ingredients:
10 oz Pork Chorizo
½ cup Long Grain White Rice
1 Poblano Pepper
1 Tbsp Smooth Peanut Butter
2 tsps Chipotle Chile Paste
¼ cup Sour Cream
2 Tbsps Raw Pepitas
2 Tbsps Tomato Paste
¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp Light Brown Sugar
1 Yellow Onion
Directions:
1. Halve, peel, and medium dice the onion. Wash and dry the pepper; cut off and discard the stem. Halve lengthwise; remove the ribs and seeds, then medium dice. Thoroughly wash your hands immediately after handling.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, peanut butter, sugar, and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream and 2 teaspoons of water; season with salt and pepper.
3. Carefully rinse the rice (sifting through for any small stones or impurities). Drain thoroughly. In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced onion and diced pepper; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened.
4. Add the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter); stir to combine. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, without stirring, 16 to 18 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and fluff with a fork.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the pepitas; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 3 minutes, or until toasted (be careful, as the pepitas may pop as they toast). Transfer to a bowl; immediately season with salt. Wipe out the pan.
6. In a bowl, combine the chorizo and breadcrumbs. Gently mix until just combined. Shape the mixture into 10 tightly packed meatballs. Transfer to a plate.
7. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Using a spoon, move the meatballs to one side of the pan. Add the chipotle-peanut mixture to the other side. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.
8. Add 1 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently and spooning the sauce over the meatballs, 5 to 7 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are cooked through.* Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.
9. Serve the cooked meatballs and sauce over the poblano rice. Top with the seasoned sour cream and toasted pepitas. Enjoy!