Hoisin Barbecued Meatballs

Every family has "the thing" they fall back on. In my house its usually schnitzel, meatloaf or of course the almighty meatball. We love our meatballs. I've made meat gobs a variety of different ways but essentially my meatballs, meatloaf and "meat filling" is all about the same. The basis is milk, meat, onion, seasoning and filler. (bread , rice or potatoes) Whether I'm making golumpki, swedish meatballs, barbecued meatballs, or even Italian-esque meatballs I always make them pretty much the same. I love sneaking in allspice or paprika and I'm pretty set in my Northeastern PA Dutch-ish way of cooking. You simply can not convince me otherwise, everything is better with bacon and why not add a potato if its laying around? For this recipe I really feel I showed a bit of restraint because I had a goal in mind. Chinese style! There was no paprika, no potatoes, and yes there's absolutely no bacon. 

I saw a show where ching-he haung made lions head meatballs on Chinese Food Made Easy and I thought to myself, SELF: why not? We've done  all sorts of meatballs before why not try to show some restraint, lets not add bacon or paprika? Why not make only enough meatballs for one night instead of like 20? Because you see, well honestly around here its momma makes  a boat load of meatballs, momma freezes meatballs and then when it comes time for supper ? Momma goes eeny meeny miny moe and makes a sauce. I've made sweet and sour to currywurst sauce, it really is just a matter of whatever I "feel like", and yes it the sauces often start with a ketchup. Its not always my most refined moments but at the end of the day I'm using from scratch meatballs and I know what is in the sauce because I made it. Last but not least, most importantly they eat the food without poking it and complaining that its weird. (ages two to thirty two, I get pokers and complainers)So what we've got here is a "Chinese style" meatball in a hoisin barbecue sauce. Served hot with some fluffy white rice and the plates were empty, the tummy's were smiling. 

Meatballs:

1 pound of ground beef or pork

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon flour 

salt, pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1 green onion chopped

2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 cup milk, 

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine ingredients with your hands preferably. Do not over mix. Allow to rest in the refrigerator approximatly 30 minutes to an hour if possible. This allows the flavors to mix. Using a ice cream disher or cookie disher divide the meat into even sized balls and roll them in between your hands to form them into spheres. You could just pinch and roll but I like them to be mostly even so you don't end up with those mysterious scorched balls. No one wants those! 

You can saute your meatballs or boil them in stock however I prefer baking mine. For small balls bake for about 20-25 minutes. For larger ones bake about 35-45 minutes.

Hoisin Barbecue Sauce:
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup beef stock
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup apple juice or cider
3-4 tablespoons of ketchup

1 tablespoon corn starch + 1 tablespoon of water (optional)
salt and pepper if necessary
*pinch of chili flakes

In a sauce pot combine hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, stock, vinegar, juice or wine, and ketchup. Bring to a boil and whisk until thickened.  You can the cornstarch to thicken it more rapidly. (Do this by combining cold water with corn starch and stirring it into the sauce.)

Once thick you serve hot with the meatballs and rice. Additional green onion for garnish would be nice.