Bourbon Cocktail Meatballs

Recipe by The View From the Great Island

Bourbon Meatballs are tender juicy meatballs smothered in a sweet and spicy bourbon glaze...give your next cocktail hour an upgrade!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 cup Ritz Cracker ( finely crushed (you can use plain bread crumbs))
• ½ cup onion (finely chopped)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• lots of fresh cracked pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp olive oil (for browning the meatballs)
• bourbon Sauce
• 1 cup jar apricot preserves (about a cup, give or take)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp hot chili sauce (use mild chili sauce if you can't take the heat)
• ½ cup bourbon
• ½ cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tbsp molasses
• ¼ cup water

Method

1. Set oven to 350F
2. Put the above ingredients, except the olive oil, in a large mixing bowl, breaking up the meat as you put it in. Mix together, using the tips of your fingers to gently combine everything without compacting the meat. I like to do this in my stand mixer.
3. Form into small 1" balls, I use a small scoop to make them nice and uniform.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs, working in batches. Transfer the meatballs to a baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes, until cooked through. (Check with a thermometer, it should read 160 degrees)
5. Place cooked meatballs into the sauce, and let heat through until ready to serve. Serve on a plate with toothpicks, a drizzle of sauce, and lots of napkins. Serve a bowl of sauce on the side for extra dipping.
6. To make the sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a skillet and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes until thick.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island