Saucy Asian Meatballs Appetizer

Considering this was my Superbowl party contribution, I’m very late with posting this recipe! Ah, well.

If you are making these for a party, I found a lot of success in transporting them in a crock pot. Once there, just put on the “warm” setting. Easy. Easy. Easy. Just remember to secure the top with rubber bands. I’ll tell you why…

Back in January my company had a pot luck. My contribution was pulled pork. You should know, my commute to work is in the 1 hour to 1-1/2 hour range, with stop-and-go traffic and inconsiderate drivers (I’m being nice in my description for them… you know EXACTLY what kind of people I’m talking about, too!).

I didn’t secure the top of my crock pot, brimming with pulled pork. Instead I opted to put the entire pot in a “green grocery store bag” and placed in on the passenger side floor. Well, thank God for that. With only 20 minutes to go, traffic was starting to pick up. Guy in front of me was going 30mph (amazing at how fast this can seem after inching along). All of sudden he swerves to go in the right lane. Who was in front of him? A stopped car.

Needless to say, I had to press on my brakes pretty quickly to avoid a crash. My pulled pork? Oh, let’s just say that 1/4 of it landed INSIDE the bag and on my carpet. I think the funniest part of this whole story is that if you move TOO quickly your seat belt locks. So, there I was getting locked back to my driver’s seat 4 or 5 times as I tried to reach over to get my crock pot upright. Must have been a funny sight.

Aside from having to carry this mess of a bag into work (don’t worry, the pulled pork was a success and most was saved), my lesson was learned: never ever travel with an unsecured crock pot.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds meatloaf mix (equal parts beef, veal and pork) OR ground beef
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 cup panko
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped (plus a little extra for garnish)
• Optional: Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Sauce

• 1 cup hoisin
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil.
2. In a large bowl mix the meat, sesame oil, panko, ginger, eggs, garlic and scallions.
3. Roll meat into 1-1/2 inch wide balls. Place on baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
   
4. While in the oven, make the sauce: whisk together the hoisin, rice vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and sprinkle of sesame seeds.
   
5. To serve (2 options): Place a toothpick in each meatball, dip in the sauce and sprinkle meatballs with sesame seeds and scallions. This makes a nice presentation on a serving tray. OR, place meatballs in a large bowl and toss with the sauce (for me, I brought this dish to a party, so I mixed them in a crock pot); sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions.
6. Serve warm.