Mexican meatballs

For Meatballs:

150ml full fat milk

100g panko breadcrumbs (or use whizzed up cream crackers)

300g minced beef

200g minced pork

1 onion

1 garlic clove

2 teaspoons Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Paste

1 handful parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

65g pancetta/bacon lardons

Salt

Pepper

For guacamole:

3 ripe avocados

2 spring onions, finely sliced

5 ripe cherry tomatoes, deseeded and diced

Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 small jalapeno, deseeded and roughly chopped

Other:

1 pomegranate

Wooden/metal skewers

Method:

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water so they don’t burn during cooking. Do this at least an hour before you begin cooking.
Set your Kamado up for indirect cooking, with the plate setter with legs up and Cast Iron Searing Grid on top. (TIP If you want to keep it clean, you can cover main plate area with tin foil to protect it from falling fat.)
Target temperature is 200C.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the milk and stir. Leave to soak in while you prepare the other ingredients. If using cream crackers, simply whizz these up in a food processor to fine breadcrumbs.
Using the Cast Iron Plancha (flat side up) Dutch Oven or a saucepan with a heatproof handle, and add a little olive oil to the pancetta/bacon bits and cook for around 10 minutes, stirring every now and again to prevent from burning. Remove from EGG. Set aside.

Continue to make the meatball ingredients. Add the onion and garlic to a food processor (alternatively just grate them). You’re aiming to get them to a paste almost.
Add onion and garlic to the pancetta/bacon, along with oregano and Gran Luchito Smoked Chilli Paste. Stir and return to theKamado to cook for about another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add a splash of water, stir and continue to cook until evaporated (around 5 minutes). Remove fromKamado and lower the temperature (as the meatballs will be setting in the fridge for a while) before grilling.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pancetta mixture with the soaked breadcrumbs, the minced beef and pork, parsley and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Mix well (with your hands preferably) and form into small balls (approximately 2.5cm in diameter). Pile on a plate and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Skewer the balls onto wooden/metal skewers and brush a little olive oil over as much of the surface of the meatballs as possible.

Increase heat to 200°C.
Place skewers onto cooking surface and leave to cook for a few minutes before turning. If they stick, use a metal spatula to work them away from the grill, but this shouldn’t happen if you turn them just at the right moment. As they become nicely golden and slightly charred all over, remove them from the cooking surface and place them in the dish to finish cooking through.

You could place a Half Moon Griddle or heat proof dish over to one side of the cooking surface where you can place skewers to stay warm once you have browned and cooked them over the heat.
Once done, remove dish from cooking surface and place aside to rest for 10 minutes under foil. Now is a good time to prepare guacamole, pomegranate and any other sides you fancy.
In a pestle and mortar, add about half of the spring onion and coriander and all the chilli along with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Mash to a paste.

Remove stones and skin from avocado and add to a bowl with onion/coriander paste. Mash with a fork, leaving it slightly chunky for a bit of texture.
Throw in the tomatoes, the remaining coriander and spring onions as well as the lime juice. Gently fold it together and add more salt and lime juice to taste.

Sprinkle with a little chopped coriander to serve.