GuruIt’s Gameday, and you are about to serve Moink balls to the crew. What are Moink balls, you ask? That’s easy: “Moo” + “Oink” 🙂 So, in this case, it’s a bacon-wrapped meatball.
These meatballs are a perfect tailgate food, well-suited for backyard gatherings in the summer or game-day finger food feasts come time for the big game.
In this video, Malcom Reed shows you how to prep them and then slow cook them on a drum smoker.
Moink Balls Gist
To create moink balls, simply wrap thawed Italian meatballs in bacon, secure with a toothpick, dust with your preferred bbq rub, smoke for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, and then baste with your favorite BBQ sauce during the final 10-15 minutes of cooking. It’s really that simple.
Moink Tricks
There are a couple of tips I can provide for this recipe. First, you’ll need to thaw the meatballs enough that you can get the toothpick through them.
Second, you only need 1/2 a strip of thick-cut bacon per meatball. Wrap the bacon around the meatball until the two ends meet and then pierce with a toothpick.
Although these gems are often smoked over low heat, grilling them over indirect heat offers an advantage without a long grill session.
- Arrange the meatballs on the indirect side of your grill.
- For a smoky flavor, add a chunk of pecan wood to your coals.
- Cover the grill and cook until the bacon is beautifully browned and slightly crisp, which typically takes around 20 minutes.
- Finish by brushing on your favorite sweet barbecue sauce and let it cook on the grill for about five more minutes.
You want your bacon to brown and have a crispy texture. These don’t work well with soggy bacon, so don’t let that happen.
Happy Grilling!
