Quarantinechef: my grandma's ham balls

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Have you ever thought that you would like meatballs if they were just….sweeter? No? Well, you should reconsider, because my grandma’s ham balls bring all the boys to the yard.

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That’s right…ham balls. Made with two parts ground ham + one part ground pork, cooked in a sweet/sour sauce (more sweet than sour, but it’s probably a third cousin to sweet and sour pork).

Growing up, this was one of my grandma’s specialities. She made them all the time, and they’re one of the foods I associate most strongly with her. I haven’t had them in a decade or so - she had dementia and went into an assisted living facility, and then I discovered my gluten woes and gave up anything with breadcrumbs. But I recreated them for the first time tonight and I almost cried when I tasted them because they were so much like home and grandma and childhood, and I can’t even.

Without further ado….

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs ham, ground

  • 1 lb pork, ground

  • 2 eggs, beaten

  • 1 c milk

  • 1 c bread crumbs (I used gluten free panko crumbs)

  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

  • 1/2 c vinegar (I used distilled white vinegar)

  • 1/2 c water

  • 1 1/2 c brown sugar, lightly packed

  • 1 tbsp dry mustard (aka mustard powder)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 0: I ground my own ham, using the meat grinder attachment for my Kitchenaid mixer. You could potentially ask your butcher to grind ham for you if you don’t want to do this step. I didn’t want to cook a whole ham for this endeavor, so I got the deli counter to cut a 2lb slab off one of the deli hams (preferably a plain one, not crusted with black pepper or overly smoked). I bought my ground pork at the grocery store because it’s easy to find.

Step 0.5: Preheat oven to 275. Get out a 9x13 glass baking dish.

Step 1: Combine the ground ham and ground pork in a large bowl - you’ll need to use your hands for this. In fact, you’ll need to use your hands for the whole thing.

Step 2: In a smaller bowl, beat two eggs. Add 1 c milk, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1 c bread crumbs and stir to combine (you can use a spoon instead of your hands here.

Step 3: Pour the egg/bread crumb mix into your ham/pork mix. Combine with your hands, making sure everything is thoroughly mixed together.

Step 4: Using a 1/3 c measuring cup, form meatballs. You can scoop the meat out in even-ish amounts with the measuring cup, then form into balls with your hands.

Step 5: As you form the meatballs, place them into a 9x13 baking dish. The meatballs can/should touch each other. With 1/3 c meatballs, you’ll be able to form approx 19 meatballs.

Step 6: In a saucepan, combine 1/2 c water, 1/2 c vinegar, 1 and 1/2 c brown sugar (somewhat packed), and 1 tbsp dry mustard. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour evenly over the meatballs.

Step 7: Bake for 1.5 - 2 hrs at 275 degrees. I baked mine for ~1hr and 40min and they were perfect.

PRODUCTION NOTES:

After you cook your ham balls, you can freeze them (with the sauce) and then defrost / reheat / serve on another day.

When you serve, give each person 2-3 balls and spoon some sauce over the ham balls. This recipe serves 6-8 people, depending on how many balls each person wants.