BBQ Sweet and Sour Meatballs- Mel's Kitchen Cafe

These meatballs are delicious- meaty, sweet, and tangy! *I like to cook in oven on 300 (for top oven), or 325 (for bottom oven) for 2 hours. I pour off the liquid halfway through, and cover with the rest of the sauce turning meatballs over to finish for the last hour. This long slow cook makes sure that they turn out very tender and flavorful. And unlike the picture above, most of the liquid is thickened and absorbed which I like better. 

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:

•  1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar
•  1/2 cup BBQ sauce
•  1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
•  2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
•  1 teaspoon dry mustard

MEATBALLS:

•  3/4 to 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
•  1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I use panko)
•  2 tablespoons milk
•  1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•  1 large egg
•  1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
•  1/2 teaspoon onion powder
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarse black pepper)
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the middle or lower middle position. (or you can cook meatballs in a skillet)
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• For the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Set aside.
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• For the meatballs, in a medium bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and mix until evenly combined. Form into balls and place on sprayed cookie sheet (I do a 9x13 pan).
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• Brush the meatballs with a little sauce. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 (I do an hour at 300) minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and browned. Pour off oily liquid, and pour remaining sauce over all and keep in oven another hour until ready to serve. You can broil it quickly if you want to brown it on top. This warms and thickens the sauce. Serve with fries, cheesy potatoes, or as an appetizer (if you make them small). Whatever you like!