Recipe: Chef Jack Mac’s bacon-wrapped cocktail meatballs with zesty barbecue glaze

INGREDIENTS

Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs

• 1 1/2 lbs. sliced smoked bacon (20–24 slices)
• 1 lb. 90/10 ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Chef Jack Mac’s Rachel Rub
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Zesty BBQ Glaze

• 2 cups smoky barbecue sauce    
• 1 Tbsp. Chef Jack Mac’s Rachel Rub
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. Cholula hot sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

For meatballs:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Par cook bacon slices 8–9 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, seasoning, egg, and bread crumbs.
4. Let sit for 10 minutes.
5. Shape into 1.5-inch meatballs.
6. Wrap each meatball with a par-cooked bacon strip. (Hold with a toothpick, or have the seam of the bacon strip on the bottom of the meatball.) 
7. Place wrapped meatballs on a baking sheet.
8. Bake 10–12 minutes, until bacon is crispy.

For glaze:

1. Mix barbecue sauce, seasoning, and hot sauce together in a bowl.
2. Brush onto cooked meatballs.