Sweet and Sour Meatballs

There's something about transforming pantry and fridge staples into foods you could easily buy pre-made (not-so-pronounceable ingredients included) that's so very wholesomely satisfying (and delicious). Mold some ground beef, onion, egg, and seasonings into balls then bake, and you've got meatballs. Stir some vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and ginger in a pot, and it magically caramelizes into sweet and sour sauce. 

This dish melds meaty comfort food with standard Asian restaurant fare. My taste barometer was my father, who came out of his not-always-expressive shell to rave about their taste and go back for seconds.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

1 1/4 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I like to process 1 piece of sandwich bread in the food processor.)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Red cayenne pepper, to taste
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. dried ginger
2 bell peppers, chopped to bite-sized chunks (I used one red and one green.)
1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix beef through salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a large, shallow (but not flat) baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until meat is cooked.

To make the sauce, combine soy sauce through ginger in large pot over medium heat. Cook until thickened, stirring often to prevent the bottom from scorching. Stir in peppers and pineapple; simmer until peppers reached desired doneness, about 15 minutes. Add meatballs and cook until meatballs are warm.

Serve over rice.

Yield: 4-5 servings.