I make my own meatballs all the time. I usually brown them in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes and then put them in the pot of sauce and let them simmer until the pasta is ready (about 10 minutes). I was thinking about throwing a bunch on the smoker with a pan of sauce underneath to catch drippings. I could then either add them to the sauce or freeze for later use. How long should I smoke them? I was thinking 45 minutes to 1 hour. Is cooked or uncooked better for freezing? I was thinking of vacuum sealing and freezing.
Smoking Meatballs
- Thread starter Gerry D.
- Start date
Joel Kiess
TVWBB All-Star
James Harvey
TVWBB Pro
Depending on size (maybe 2-3" across), I would probably smoke them for an hour (just because it's a nice, round number) at anywhere near 200-250F and finish them in the oven at 450-500F for 10+ mins to brown. You'll get the smoke taste but won't dry them out (again, depending on how you make your meatballs because pork will dry out faster than beef). I'd probably do a final finish in a sauce of some sort but that can get contentious depending on who your grandma is / was.
Best of luck regardless.
James
Best of luck regardless.
James
I always finish in the sauce but what do I know from meatballs, I'm Irish!
I most often do a combination of meats and never use anythning leaner than 80/20 ground beef. I had an Italian guy I work with tell me to dice up some flank steak and throw it in there. I figured on an hour on the smoker at 250 and simmer them in the sauce for about 10 minutes.