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SWEET AND SOUR COCKTAIL MEATBALLS

Boy Eats World! A Private Chef Cooks Simple Gourmet
By David Lawrence

These are those retro-kitsch meatballs from the days of yore, dating back at least to the days when Carter was in office. I remember fondly the chic holiday cocktail parties my mom would throw with plenty of these meatballs keeping warm in a Crock-Pot. Okay, maybe the Crock-Pot wasn't so chic, but it was the seventies! I always loved the notion that the "sweet" part of the sauce came from ordinary grape jelly. A very cool thing when you're 6 years old!
Makes about 25 meatballs
 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE MEATBALLS
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup milk or half-and-half
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked
• black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle mild chili sauce
• 1 (10-ounce) jar grape jelly
 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the sirloin, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper with your fingertips. Be careful not to overwork the mixture. Gently form 1-inch meatballs and place on the prepared sheet pan. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the chili sauce and grape jelly in a small saucepan and stir together over medium heat until combined and heated through.

Remove the meatballs from the oven and toss to coat with the sauce. Transfer to a large serving platter. Or, if you're feeling truly nostalgic for that retro charm, keep warm in a Crock-Pot.
Serve with plenty of toothpicks.