Make them a couple of days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
INGREDIENTS:
SAUCE
2 cups tomato ketchup
4 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup grape jelly
2 teaspoons soy sauce
MEATBALLS
1/2 pound of ground pork
1/2 pound of ground beef or dark meat turkey
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (suggested Sriracha)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg or egg white
BREADING
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup flour
2 cups vegetable, canola or peanut oil
DIRECTIONS:
Mix ketchup, Hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, grape jelly and soy sauce in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low and stir until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
Place the ground meat, fresh ginger, garlic, pepper sauce, salt and egg in medium bowl; mix well. Form into little (1-inch) meatballs and set on waxed paper; about 24. Mix cornstarch with flour in small bowl; roll each meatball in the mixture. Return to waxed paper.
In a large skillet, heat oil to 365 degrees and fry meatballs in batches until browned and cooked through. Drain little meatballs on a paper towel lined sheet pan.
To serve: Ladle a puddle of warm barbecue sauce onto a rimmed serving platter or casserole dish big enough to hold the meatballs. Place the skewed meatballs in the puddle of barbecue sauce and serve. See Cook's Tip below. Meatballs can also be baked on a foil lined sheet pan in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Other serving ideas: Place on slider roll or dinner rolls held together with a large cocktail toothpick. Shape into footballs and use cheese to make strings for the top. Serve with rice noodles, mashed potatoes or with warm cooked rice mixed with shredded raw carrots and sliced green onions.
Cook’s Tip: Hoisin sauce, a Chinese barbecue sauce, can be found in the Asian section of the supermarket. One pound of ground meat makes about 12 (1-1/2 inch) meatballs. First form the ground meat into 12 meatballs; then halve them to make 24 meatballs. Keep meatballs and saucewarm in crock-pot on low setting until ready to serve.
