Look up any list of Iowans’ top ten favorite foods and one item makes the list every time—pork! Cristen Clark shares this recipe for INSP viewers to enjoy.
by: Cristen Clark http://foodandswine.com/ Makes 18-24 ham balls
Ingredients
2 lbs. ham loaf
1 lb. ground beef or ground pork (I grew up raising beef cattle: hence the beef in the recipe)
2 cups crushed butter crackers (Some people prefer graham, but that’s too sweet for me.)
1/4 cup minced dehydrated onion
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
Glaze
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard powder
To make the ham balls
Preheat oven to 350 degrees:
Combine ham loaf, ground beef, crackers, onion, egg and milk.
Mix only until combined.
Shape into 1/4 c balls. (I have a 1/4 c cookie dough scoop I use to help me.)
Place in two greased 8×8 pans (10-12 each).
Bake for 45 minutes.
Glaze:
Meanwhile, combine ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and mustard powder in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil while stirring then remove from heat.
After 45 minutes, remove ham balls from oven, pour glaze over par-baked ham balls. Return to oven to set glaze for 15 minutes.
Remove and cool a few minutes, then serve warm.
*These are also fun to serve at tailgates, toss them in a crock pot, or make minis. Reduce baking time on the minis by 20%. Keep warm in crock pot.