Party Meatballs in Guava Sauce

Course: Appetizer, dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: African American, Afro-Caribbean, Caribbean, Puerto Rican, Soul Food

Keyword: beef, guava, meatballs, pork

Prep Time: 32

Cook Time: 23

Total Time: 55

Servings: (serves 12 people 4 meatballs each)

Calories: 80kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

Party meatballs are made from ground pork and beef, quickly browned in the oven, and finished in a sweet and savory homemade guava sauce.

This spin on the classic party meatballs in grape jelly (or cranberry sauce) recipe has a tropical flair thanks to sweet-tart guava paste and homemade sofrito.

Print Recipe

Equipment

cooling rack
half sheetpan
#40 portion scoop (or electric scale)

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2 small (80 grams or 1/2 cup) green bell pepper minced
1/2 small (60 grams or 1/2 cup) white onion minced
3 large cloves (20 grams or 2 tablespoons) garlic minced
1 tablespoon (20 grams) sofrito
1 large egg
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
1 pound (454 grams) ground beef
1 pound (454 grams) ground pork
3/4 cup (50 grams) panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 grams) adobo
1 teaspoon (4 grams) sazón (or 1 packet)
1 teaspoon (1 gram) dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Guava Sauce (Can Be Made 7-10 Days Ahead)

1/4 cup (50 grams) sofrito
22 ounces (1 pound 6 ounces or 625 grams) guava paste diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup (240 milliliters) unsalted beef stock
2/3 cup (160 milliliters) white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 grams) tomato paste
2 teaspoons (12 grams) adobo or to taste
1 teaspoon (1 gram) dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt optional
1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes optional

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C).
Prepare the pan you will bake the meatballs on by placing a cooling rack inside a half-sheet pan. Lightly grease the cooling rack with nonstick spray.
Set the pan aside for now.

Sauté the Meatball Aromatics

Add the olive oil to a 4-quart sauté pan and heat it over medium-high heat.
Stir the minced green bell pepper, onion, sofrito, and garlic into the oil once it begins to shimmer in the pan.
Sauté the aromatics for 2-3 minutes, or until they look glossy and begin to take on color.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a bowl or dish and allow them to cool while you prepare the guava sauce.

Make the Guava Sauce

Add the sofrito for the guava sauce to the same pan you sautéed the aromatics in.
Sauté the sofrito for 30 seconds over medium-high heat to bring out its flavor.
Add the guava paste, beef stock, white wine vinegar, tomato paste, adobo, dried oregano leaves, kosher salt, ground cumin, black pepper, and red chili flakes to the pan.
Allow this mixture to heat for 1 minute, then use a whisk to stir the newly added ingredients together.
Allow the guava sauce to cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes.
Once the sauce is smooth and bubbly, turn the stove off and allow the sauce to rest while you prepare the meatballs.

Make, Then Bake the Meatballs

Whisk together the egg and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
Add the ground beef, ground pork, aromatics, breadcrumbs, and spices to a separate large mixing bowl.
Pour the egg mixture into the rest of the ingredients in the larger bowl.
Use your hands to gently mix the ground meat mixture just until it is combined.
Use a #40 portion scoop or weigh out 24 grams (.86 ounces) of meat for each meatball.
Scoop up some meat mixture and level it off with your hand. Drop the meatball onto the rack and continue scooping the rest of the meat mixture.
Gently form the balls of meat into a uniform shape by gently rolling them between the palms of your hands.
Bake the meatballs for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown and thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165°F (70°C).

Finish the Party Meatballs in Guava Sauce

Pour half of the guava sauce into the ceramic insert of a slow cooker.
Use a pair of tongs to put them into the sauce in the slow cooker.
Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs in the slow cooker and stir them gently to ensure each meatball is coated in the guava sauce.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and set the temperature to warm until you're ready to serve the party meatballs.
Keep the party meatballs in the slow cooker on warm for 4 to 6 hours.
Place a container full of skewers or cocktail forks next to the slow cooker, along with a ladle for scooping up the meatballs and allow your guests to serve themselves from the slow cooker.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

Replace the guava paste with the same weight of guava jam, jelly, or marmalade. Decrease the amount of beef stock to 3/4 cup (175 milliliters) and add 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of brown sugar to the sauce ingredients.
Replace the panko breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup (30 grams) plain breadcrumbs.
You can use a 4-pound (1.8 kilogram) bag of frozen meatballs for this recipe and omit the meatball ingredients.
You can replace the ground pork in party meatballs with ground beef or ground lamb.
If you want meatballs for dinner, use a #30 portion scoop, which will give you meatballs that weigh 1 1/4 ounce or 35 grams.
Garnish party meatballs with chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, chopped flat-leaf parsley, or serve them without garnish.

Tips and Techniques:

You can find guava paste in most Hispanic food markets. Asian markets will sometimes carry it.
Minimal handling of the meatball mixture will prevent them from becoming tough as they bake.
You can bake the meatballs directly on a greased sheetpan if you don't have a cooling rack or one that fits over a pan, however, you should blot the grease from the meatballs with paper towels before coating them in the sauce.
The standard party serving is 4 meatballs per person. You can easily double the meat mixture in this recipe and have enough sauce to coat them or double the entire recipe.
If you're making these party meatballs to serve as an entree, you'll serve 6 per person.
If you're serving these as a main course for dinner, they taste great with Arroz con Gandules and grilled vegetables.

Make-Ahead Instructions:

You can make guava sauce 7 to 10 days ahead and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator until needed.
You can also freeze this guava sauce after preparing it:
1. Allow the guava sauce to cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 6 months.
2. Thaw frozen guava sauce in the fridge and stir it well before using it.
To make the recipe ahead:
1. Prepare the recipe completely and add the meatballs to the cool slow cooker.
2. Store the slow cooker insert in the fridge with the lid on.
3. Thirty minutes before you start warming them, pull the ceramic insert out of the fridge. After 30 minutes of warming at room temperature, turn the slow cooker on to low to heat the meatballs.
4. Once the meatballs are warmed through, you can decrease the temperature to warm to hold them for your event.

Storage Instructions:

Transfer leftover party meatballs to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
To reheat party meatballs, warm them in a slow cooker on low heat for 1 hour, then decrease the temperature to warm until you're ready to serve.
You can also reheat leftover meatballs in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed.

Freezer Instructions:

You can freeze party meatballs for three months after preparing them:
1. Cool the meatballs completely.
2. Transfer them to a freezer-safe container.
3. Thaw the frozen meatballs in the refrigerator and reheat them in the microwave or stovetop.

Nutrition