Ham Balls with Sweet & Sour Sauce-annrms

[wilderness]

Ham Balls with Sweet & Sour Sauce-annrms

I enjoy savory dishes over sweet dishes. I wanted to try a recipe for ham balls, but was put off by the amount of sugar in the sauce. I decided to adapt my 'unstuffed' cabbage roll sauce recipe using the ham meatballs. The sauce is a spicy, slightly sweet & sour tomato sauce with hints of caraway and garlic.

For the meatballs
2 tablespoons re-hydrated minced onions
1 pound lean ground pork
3 cups ground smoked ham (about 8oz. wt.)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
¼ cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Combine the meatball ingredients and mix well. Form into 1½-inch meatballs. Place in a cooking sprayed 9x13 pan.

For the sauce
28oz. Crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon dehydrated garlic
Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup. Pour evenly over meatballs. Gently shake the pan to distribute the sauce.
Cover the pan. Place in a 350°oven and cook for 60 minutes or until thermometer tests 160°

Note: Serve over sautéed shredded cabbage mixed with cooked buttered noodles.