Albondigas al Chipotle & Garlic Rice

The original recipe I got from my Rick Bayless cookbook, Mexican Every Day.  It is the BEST cookbook.  I highly recommend buying it.  This is what I made, from his recipe.  Basically, I just doubled it and got three meals out of it!  The garlic rice recipe is basically from my mother-in-law, though usually I use onions too.  But the garlic alone makes it really rich and creamy tasting.
 
Meatballs:
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled (divided use)
3 large eggs
1 C bread crumbs
salt
2 lbs ground pork
1 C (loosely packed) coarsely chopped mint leaves, plus extra leaves fro garnish, if you wish
 
Sauce:
2 28 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
2 - 4 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, stemmed and seeded
2 - 4 Tb chipotle canning sauce
2 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
About 3 C chicken stock 
 
Garlic Rice:
4 cloves garlic
1 bullion cube
4 C water
2 C brown rice
1 Tb oil (Canola or EVOO)

1. Turn on the oven to 450 degrees.  Then, start making the rice.  Saute the garlic.  Once it's done, blend it with the chicken stock (water and bullion cube).  Use this garlic liquid to cook your rice according to the instructions. (Usually takes about 45 minutes)
2. Using the food processor, combine the bacon and 2 garlic cloves.  Process until finely chopped.  Add the eggs, bread crumbs and 1 tsp salt.  Pulse several times to combine thoroughly.  Using your hands, combine this mixture with the ground pork.  It will be too much to mix it in the food processor.  Don't over mix it.  
3. Form the meatballs into plum-size spheres.  Space them out in a greased 13x9-inch baking dish.  I used two.  Bake until lightly browned (they'll be browned more underneat than on top), about 15 minutes.
4. While the meatballs are baking, combine the tomatoes with their juice, chipotles, canning sauce, oregano, the remaining garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp salt into the food processor or blender.  Process to a smooth puree.
5. When the meatballs are ready, spoon off any rendered fat from the baking dish, then pour on the tomato mixture, covering the meatballs evenly.  Bake until the sauce looks like tomato paste, 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Microwave the broth for 1 minute to heat it.  Once the meatballs are done, mix the broth in with the tomato sauce and meatballs.

I made enough with this recipe to feed our family and my dad and froze two bags of meatballs and sauce for future meals.  I did not add the broth to the freezer bags.  I'll add that when I defrost them.  When I defrost, I'll update this recipe with how they came out.  Rick Bayless mentions that you can use lamb or beef for these if you do not eat pork.  We prefer the pig. :)