When I read the story of how Larry Gaian came up with the first “Moink Ball”  – I had to ask him to be a Guest Chef at Sizzle on the Grill. His creativity and practical approach to outdoor cooking is an inspiration.  It’s the holidays and Larry graciously provides us with his original recipe. ~CB

"Moink Balls" loaded into a cooker - slowly crisping up to DEE-LISH-US!

CB,

The term ‘Moink’ comes from two sources of barbeque cooking and eating pleasure, beef and pork. I first came up with these when I was preparing a catering job and felt I needed something more. I had some frozen meatballs and plenty of bacon – so beef meatballs with bacon. MOO (Beef) + OINK (Pork) = MOINK

Larry Gaian’s Original Moink Balls
Prep time: just a few minutes for a dozen or so
Cook time: until the bacon is crispy
Ingredients
1 dozen frozen pre-cooked beef meat balls
6 strips of your favorite bacon, cut in half to make 12
Your favorite BBQ sauce or glaze

Directions

1. Place meatball in center of bacon pieces and wrap bacon up and around thawed meat balls – secure with a toothpick out of the top – makes a great handle on an appetizer tray
2. Place the Moink Balls on oven safe trays or racks
3. Set racks in cooker, smoker or grill (set for indirect heat) and registering approximately 225F degrees
4. Leave in place – checking about every 30 minutes – turn or adjust individual MOINK Balls as necessary.
5. Cook until bacon is crispy and brush with sauce
   
6. Continue cooking until sauce has set.

The key to this appetizer is the simplicity.  Some people want to make fancy meatballs, but it isn’t necessary.  After smoking, saucing and with the bacon most people can’t tell.  The important part is that it’s beef meatballs and bacon.  That’s what a MOINK Ball is.

Larry Gaian
The BBQ Grail

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Get a printable version of this recipe – CLICK HERE

Read the account of how the Moink Ball got it’s name – CLICK HERE