Bacon-Wrapped Pork Shoulder Meatballs With Spicy Barbecue Sauce

• Combine the shallots, celery and half of the garlic over medium heat in a small sauté pan. Cook until translucent and transfer to a separate bowl.
• Add the pork, eggs and bread crumbs and combine. Add the salt and pepper lightly throughout the mixing process. This mixture should resemble the consistency of a meatloaf. It should be slightly dry – not wet, but with a nice sheen.
• Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop, form the mixture into balls. Wrap each individually in a slice of bacon. In a hot sauté pan, sear each side until the bacon is crisp. Set aside on a paper towel to catch any remaining grease.
• For the spicy barbecue sauce, heat the vegetable oil in a heavy medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper. Stir for 1 minute. Add the ketchup, beer, vinegar, broth and Worcestershire sauce.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend and the sauce is reduced by half.
• To finish, add the seared bacon-wrapped meatballs to the spicy barbecue sauce. Braise for about an hour and serve.

*If you’d like to venture outside the box and use a pig’s head, follow these boiling instructions to prepare the meat: 1 whole pig head, split
3 cups onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme

• Combine all the ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 to 5 hours, skimming any foam that rises to the top. Remove the head, strain and reserve the liquid to substitute for the chicken broth in the barbecue sauce.
• Remove all the meat from the head, especially the cheeks and jowls. Set the meat aside and continue the recipe using this meat in place of the pork shoulder.

This article appears in May 1-31, 2009.