We're having meatballs tomorrow, not these with the pork and ham, but I'm going to use this sauce. I'm not sure what is so surprising about this first recipe. The second recipe that has a bit of cheese inside each meatball would be more exciting.

Boulette Surprise (Meatballs)

1 pound finely chopped ham
1 pound ground pork
1 1/2 cups saltine cracker crumbs
(1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
1 cup milk
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups maple syrup
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ham, pork, cracker crumbs, milk, eggs, and salt in a bowl. Place in a deep casserole or baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until well done. Meanwhile, combine maple syrup, vinegar, water, and dry mustard in small bowl. When meatballs are cooked, drain off fat. Pour syrup mixture over meatballs and return to oven. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Stuffed Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
2 1/2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine beef, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, egg, bread crumbs, salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce. Wrap 1 tablespoon meat mixture around 1 cheese cube to form a ball; repeat. Place in shallow pan and bake until browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Drain off grease. Place meatballs in a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Combine garlic powder with remaining tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce; pour over meatballs. Bake, covered, until hot, about 20 minutes.

I used to make a sweet and sour meatball recipe that involved frying them in a batter before dousing them in the sauce. They're good, but just as good without the batter - the sauce is the main thing.

Sweet and Sour Chinese Meatballs

2 pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
2 egg whites
Salt, pepper, onion salt, garlic powder, as desired
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips or squares
1/2 cup carrot, cut in julienne strips
1 clove garlic
2 cans (16 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in juice from pineapple

4 tablespoons white or cider or red wine vinegar
(1 cup chicken broth)
2 tablespoons white or brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Form meat, egg whites, spices into 1 inch balls, about 32 to 40 from 2 pounds meat. Brown in a large nonstick skillet until done. Drain grease. Set aside. Sauté green pepper in a small pan in a little water until tender. Set aside. Drain pineapple, reserving liquid in a water-tight plastic container. Add cornstarch to the pineapple liquid. Shake to mix. Pour into another saucepan. Add pineapple liquid to vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sauce becomes thick. Combine meatballs, pineapple, green pepper, and sauce in the large skillet in which the meatballs were browned. Heat through and serve with rice.

Here's a different recipe from my favorite cookbook, The Atalantean from Texas. I haven't made it, so can't vouch for how good it is as written. I'll try it some time and see what it needs.

Mexican Meatballs

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup corn meal
1 egg
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 clove garlic
Rice

Sauce:
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 large can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon cumin or chili powder

Mix onion, garlic, corn meal, egg, ground meat, and cumin. Form into 1 inch balls. Mix sauce ingredients and simmer 15 minutes. Add meat balls to sauce and cook 5-10 minutes in a covered pan. Serve over rice.

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Remember when restaurants garnished every plate with a sprig of parsley? Haven't seen that in years, have we? But once in awhile we'll see one of today's gourmet chefs apply a dusting of very finely minced parsley over plated food. This summer I'm going to plant some parsley in my yard. Once I get it going, I'll try mincing and freezing it so I always have some to sprinkle over just anything as a lovely garnish.