Mexican Meatball Soup

Directions

1. Make the Meatballs: Pulse the tortillas in a food processor - you want them to be finely chopped and all pieces should be smaller than 1/2 inch. Save about 3/4 cup and put it aside for the soup. Add to the food processor and the remaining tortillas the cilantro, eggs, broth, garlic, 1 tsp of the salt, and 1/4 tsp of the pepper. Process for about a minute scraping down the sides.
2. Move the tortilla mix to a bowl and add the ground pork. Use your hands to mix it thoroughly. Keep a bowl of water close to dampen your hands and roll the meat mixture into one inch balls (I like to use the cookie dough scoop!). Place the meatballs in the fridge until you are ready to use them.
3. Wash the food processor (or use you blender) and add to it the tomatoes and their juice, onion, chili powder, garlic, chipotle, oregano, salt, and pepper until smooth, will take about 30 seconds.
4. Heat the oil, lard, tallow or bacon grease in a Dutch Oven or other stock pot of adequate size and add the tomato mixture. Cook it stirring occasionally until it is well browned and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot - this should take 10-12 minutes.
5. Stir in the broth, zucchini, carrots, and reserved tortillas. Add the meatballs and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the veggies are tender - about 15 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve with lime wedges and sprinkle with cilantro (I would just add these things straight to the soup pot as we keep mealtimes simple here and that means less mess on the table).

This soup is awesome garnished also with some chopped avocado and with slices of hard sharp cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheeses. I like to crumble slices of cheese into my soup!