Throw away those old kitschy cocktail meatball recipes that call for grape jelly and frozen meatballs — these are easy-to-make and so much better. You’ll love that they’re baked, not fried, and the sweet and tangy sauce is ready in under 15 minutes. What’s more, you don’t need to wait for a party or special occasion to make them: they’re delicious over white rice for dinner and kids absolutely love them.
What you’ll need to make them
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How to make Them
Begin by combining the egg, cream and bread cubes in a small bowl.
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Mash with a fork until the bread is mostly dissolved.
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Next, combine the ground pork, garlic, baking powder and spices in an electric mixer and whip until the mixture is smooth and pale. (I know it seems odd to make meatballs in an electric mixer, but the technique makes the texture tender with a nice snap, which is what we’re going for.)
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Add the egg mixture and beat until smooth.
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Add the ground beef and mix again until just combined.
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Using moistened hands, form the meat mixture into balls and place on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. The rack is useful because any fat from the meatballs drips down but if you don’t have one, don’t worry about it. It’s fine to just place the meatballs directly on the baking sheet.
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Bake the meatballs for about twenty minutes.
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Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, grated shallot, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, water, salt and pepper in a sauté pan large enough to hold all the meatballs. Simmer the sauce for about ten minutes, until slightly thickened.
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Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat evenly.
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Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with finely chopped parsley if desired, and spear with pretty toothpicks.
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Note: The technique for mixing the meatball ingredients, for the most part, come from Cook’s Illustrated’s Swedish Meatball recipe.
You can find these bamboo forks on Amazon — Norpro 190 72-Pack Bamboo Party Forks, BrownImage may be NSFW.
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You may also like
- Swedish Meatballs
- Chicken Meatballs with Tomato-Balsamic Glaze
- Vietnamese-Style Meatballs with Chili Sauce
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