Asian Meatballs

Confession time: I have never made meatballs. I know! Well, never until now. For Secret Recipe Club this month, I was assigned to Danielle's blog, Hugs and Cookies. She has a ton of recipes that would be fun to try. After finding these Asian meatballs, I knew I had my recipe for the month. Danielle also has a lot of other meatball recipes, so even though this was my first time making meatballs, I can promise you that it won't be my last!

For the meatballs, in a medium bowl combine the ground beef, sesame oil,

egg, garlic, green onions and breadcrumbs.

Mix this up well so that all the ingredients are incorporated. I used my hands - I figured I was going to get them messed up rolling the meatballs anyway! When it's all good and mixed, take the meat and roll it into balls and then place them on a foil lined large baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through. While they're baking, make the sauce. In a measuring cup, combine the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar,

garlic, soy sauce

and sesame oil. Now you'll want to heat up the sauce - you can bring it to a simmer in a saucepan, or to save a dish, you can microwave it for about 1 1/2 minutes (if you're microwaving, wait and do it after the meatballs have been removed from the oven.)

Another thing to do while the meatballs bake is toast the sesame seeds. I do this in a dry skillet over medium heat - just watch them very carefully and shake the pan around frequently - once they start to toast, they will darken quickly so pay attention!

Transfer the cooked meatballs to a serving dish, then cover with the sauce,

and sprinkle with sesame seeds. You can garnish with green onion slices, too!

These meatballs are great served with rice and a vegetable (like asparagus or green beans) and would also be a terrific appetizer. Here's to the beginning of my meatball future!

One year ago: English Muffin Bread
Two years ago: Dalmatian Bars
Three years ago: Poppy Seed Bread
Four years ago: Beef with Broccoli

Find more great ideas at Mouthwatering Monday, Inspiration Monday, Mix it Up, Melt in your Mouth, Recipe Sharing, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Tasteful Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Clever Chicks, Try a New Recipe, Share Your Stuff, All my Bloggy Friends.

Asian Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Glaze:
2/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil

For meatballs, combine the ground beef, sesame oil, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic and green onions in a medium bowl. Mix well until all the ingredients are incorporated. Roll the mixture into balls and place on a large foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer and cook and stir for two minutes.

Transfer the meatballs to a serving dish, cover with the warm sauce, and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Makes 4 main dish servings, or 8-10 appetizer servings.