SAUCY SMOKED MEATBALLS
Whatever ground meat you have on hand, be it venison, waterfowl, beef, pork or turkey, these are sure to be a hit. Adding a touch of smoke before pan frying takes these meatballs from good to great, giving them that extra layer of flavor that can't be attained with herbs or spices. The herb additions are endless so feel free to add to, or switch up, the Italian seasoning, basil and/or parsley to suit your flavor palate. Feel free to skip the cheese if you'd like, although it's a nice surprise in the middle of a meatball!
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 pounds ground meat
1 tablespoon olive oil (if using wild game with no added fat)
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 mozzarella cheese sticks
Olive oil for frying pan
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine ground meat with oil (if using wild game), egg, onion, breadcrumbs, chopped herbs, garlic, pepper, and Italian seasoning until thoroughly combined. Cut cheese into 12 equal pieces. Divide meat mixture into 12 equal portions and form into balls. Poke a piece of cheese into the meatball and seal over it.
Place meatballs on Smokehouse teflon screens on top of a smoker rack.
Preheat Little or Big Chief Smoker 10 - 15 minutes. Add Smokehouse Cherry Chips to the chip pan.
Smoke 30 - 45 minutes using one full pan of chips.
To finish meatballs, preheat a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil and brown meatballs on all sides.
Meatballs will not take long to cook as they partially cook in the smoker. During the last minute of cooking, drizzle sauce over meatballs.
Serve on their own or over a bed of caramelized onions or buttered noodles.
SAUCE:
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Recipe by: Tiffany Haugen
