Gochujang meatballs with Apricot Glaze

By stancec44

Very good. Bit too spicy for some people. NYE 2018
WHAT: Our new favorite cocktail party appetizer, with a kick of spice to keep things interesting.
HOW: Just mix, fry, bake, and brush on a sweet-spicy glaze. It's actually pretty versatile, and has a nice spicy and smoky flavor. A little bit goes a long way toward giving an otherwise boring dish a little Korean flair. Along the lines of "party food" like chicken wings, I thought this stuff would work in meatballs, too (my recipe is adapted from a recipe from Spoon Fork Bacon). These meatballs are spicy and smoky and delicious.

Ingredients

• Glaze:
• Meatballs
• 3 green onions, very thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, for pan-frying
• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Garnishes: sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350° F. In large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except oil. The key to good meatballs is not to over mix them. Just gently combine the ingredients until everything is evenly distributed. Form the mixture into golf-ball sized meatballs.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. In batches (don't crowd the pan!), brown the meatballs on all sides. Transfer meatballs to rimmed baking pan and transfer to oven. Bake 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160° F.

Meanwhile, in small saucepot, combine all glaze ingredients. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened.

To serve, brush meatballs with glaze and sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds.