Grilled Asian Meatballs with Apricot Sauce

This recipe is termed Asian Meatballs because the ingredients are Southeast Asian, but you would not find skewered and grilled meatballs there. These are larger in size to be served as an entree, but they could be made bite-sized and served in the sauce for parties.

3/4 pound ground pork

1/2 carrot, grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1 inch fresh ginger, grated

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

Prepare the Apricot Sauce (recipe follows). Combine all ingredients and form into meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball by rolling them around between your hands. It is recommended that rubber gloves be worn, not to keep your hands clean, but so the meat does not stick to them. Roll the meatballs back and forth to elongate them.

Place two bricks on the grill cooking grate spaced so that only the ends of the skewers will be supported. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over a hot fire. Skewer the meat balls, leaving some space between them and place the skewers on the bricks.

Grill the meat, turning every 3 minutes for 18 minutes*. Remove the meatballs from the skewers to a serving platter. Serve with the sauce.

*NOTE: When grilling skewered ground meat, the wider the skewer the better. The bricks prevent the meat from sticking to the cooking grate but will require slightly longer to cook. The meat must also be turned more often. If one side is cooked until done before turning the meatball will fall off the skewers.

Apricot Sauce

1/4 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce

1 teaspoon sugar, or sweetener equivalent