Last weekend (at this wedding I keep mentioning) I had, for the first time in my life, the opportunity to chow down on some ham balls (and having written that sentence, I now feel dirty). I've been something of a slow convert to ham, mostly owing to the fact that I didn't grow up eating pork products (I have a Jewish mother who isn't observant, but she still avoids the pig). So I didn't really start exploring the world of ham (and bacon. Oh, bacon!) until a few years ago.
But being the eater that I am, when someone is walks around with a tray of appetizers and offers me a ham ball, I am unable to say no. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the first bite was good and the second was even better. Sweet and savory, tender and totally addictive, I must have eaten eight or nine ham balls before they served dinner that night.
When I got home, I started searching and discovered that there's a whole world of ham ball recipes out there that I had never known about before. However now, stymied by such selection, I don't know where to start. Help me, Slashfood readers. Point me in the best ham ball direction!
5-23-2008 @6:43PM Average Betty said... I don't have any ham ball recipes (and I don't believe I've ever had a ham ball) but the Hand Jive begs this parody... "born to ham ball, baby!"
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5-23-2008 @7:22PM kgb1001001 said... I think the one at http://homecooking.about.com/od/appetizerrecipes/r/blapp26.htm is the closest to the ones I'm familar with -- mostly in the fact that the ratio of ham to ground pork looks right and that it has whiskey in the sauce.
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5-23-2008 @11:52PM KF said... Ham has always been my favorited sliced deli meat for sandwiches, snacks. Roasted ham, ham slices, diced ham. I love it, always have. But I can say I've never seen or had a ham ball, so this is delightful, thanks. Eager to try it.
I still laugh at the memory of a lunch date with my boyfriend (now of 10 years) when I ordered a ham sandwich. He said "Interesting. You eat swine." I stopped and looked at him and said "I'm sorry -- are you --?" with my eyebrows raised. He laughed and said "No. I just don't eat swine." I thought "Oh oh, I've got myself a FUSSY one." I also found out he doesn't eat anything white, either, and I still put up with the guy.
Thanks for the heads up. I should make ham balls to eat in front of him for the holiday weekend.
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5-24-2008 @7:56PM Carl said... This was a delicious recipe for ham balls. I substituted bacon instead of ham, which made it all the tastier in my opinon!
http://www.franklyfancy.com/?p=45
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5-28-2008 @12:10PM beerorkid said... This sounds so strange and delicious.
I would like to get the outside crunchy like a sugar coated ham or pig candy. Prob try to make them a bit smaller as well. I think I have a new experiment to try.
Thanks for the idea.
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