111 ozbottle teriyaki marinade (i.e. Lawry's or similar)
1/3cuppacked light brown sugar
toasted sesame seeds and chopped chives for garnishing optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a broiler pan or a large baking pan fitted with a rack with cooking spray. Set aside.
To a medium size mixing bowl add ground beef and pork, panko, green onions, milk, teriyaki sauce, cilantro, lime juice, eggs, garlic, salt, pepper, ginger, red pepper flakes, clove and cinnamon.Using your hands, mix everything together thoroughly.
Form into bite sized 1 inch meatballs and place onto the rack. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until no pink remains.
Meanwhile, make sauce. In a medium saucepan, simmer together Thai chili sauce, teriyaki marinade and brown sugar until slightly thickened and reduced. Keep warm.
Add meatballs to sauce, gently stir to coat. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and chives, if desired.
Serve immediately with picks as an appetizer or over rice drizzled with sauce, as an entree.
Notes
Slow Cooker Method: While meatballs bake, simmer sauce on high in a slow cooker. Add meatballs, stir gently to coat. Simmer on low for 1-2 hours then keep warm until serving.
At the end of conventional or slow cooking, you can thicken the sauce further using a cornstarch slurry. To make, mix 1 Tbsp of cornstarch in just enough cold water to dissolve. Stir into the sauce, repeating until the desired thickness is achieved.
The Lawry's teriyaki marinade I use for the sauce in this recipe is available on the condiment aisle of most grocery stores. It's thicker than typical teriyaki sauce which lends the best texture to the meatball sauce. K.C. Masterpiece also has a tasty honey teriyaki marinade as well as other brands found on the Asian foods aisle. Use your favorite brand.
If using 1 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 Spice, omit ginger, clove and cinnamon. Reduce red pepper flakes and fennel seed to 1/2 tsp each, or to taste.