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Ham Balls
2 beaten farm fresh eggs
1 1/2 c crackers-graham are always fun here as these are somewhat sweet, though any will work
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1/4 c milk
1 t dry mustard
1/4 t fresh ground black pepper
1# ground cooked ham or ham loaf (like leftover Stamps Family Farm ham from turkey day here-watch for why we have leftover ham, not turkey from Thanksgiving in a later post)
1# ground pork or beef (and I like Ebersole Cattle Co grass fed ground beef here)
1/2 c honey or maple syrup
1 c catsup
2 T vinegar-any will work. I seem to always have an over-abundance of balsamic, so it wins for this recipe. I results in a nice, dark sauce)
1 T dry mustard
1/2 t onion powder
Combine the eggs, crumbs, onion, milk, 1 t mustard and pepper in a large bowl. Add the meats and make sure they are well mixed, but do not handle them too much. This makes your balls tough rather than nice and juicy. Shape into balls-I do about 1/4 c size. Place in a lightly greased baking dish and bake till almost cooked through in a 350 degree oven, about 35 minutes. Don't worry if they seem a little crowded-it won't hurt them.
While that is baking, mix together the catsup, honey, vinegar, onion powder and mustard, stirring until completely combined. OR if you are really short on time or love some certain wonderful, local brand, you can most certainly use a pre-made barbecue sauce. This one is nice though, and can be tweaked as liked-like adding more honey to make it sweeter, or a little cayenne to make it spicier. Glaze over the meatballs about 5 minutes before they are ready and put back in the oven till the sauce is hot and bubbly.
Serve!
