It's hard to come up with a catchy name with all of the goodness that is put into this dish so you will have to go with it. But... if you want to make grown men weep in joy, this is a must make appetizer.
This is a work in progress. I made the meatballs by throwing what I had around into a bowl and mixing it till it seemed right. The ingredients are listed below, but the proportions are not there yet. If you have your own meatball recipe, use that.
Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1 1/2 lb ground beef (80/20)
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Other:
1 lb bacon, thin sliced & cut in half
1 cup cheese cubes
1 bottle bbq sauce (Bull's Eye Original is my preferred)
1 box tooth picks
Hickory wood chips for smoking
Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together.
Create a meatball with a golf ball size (or slightly smaller) of meat, then flatten into a patty.
Place a cube of cheese in the middle then reform the meatball around the cheese. Seal well so the cheese doesn't leak out.
Lay the meatball on a 1/2 strip of bacon and roll it up. The bacon should overlap on itself and will hold together. You can use a toothpick at this point if needed, but I have not had to yet.
Cooking:
I smoke the meatballs in a sealed smoker for 45 minutes. If you are using a grill, smoke using indirect heat for a longer period of time. Let me know how long you smoke it for if you try this on a grill. My guess would be 1.5 hours if you can keep your fire low.
When the meatballs are finished smoking, transfer to a hot grill, brush with bbq sauce, rotating often. What you want to see is the bbq sauce caramelizing and the bacon crisping up. This should take about 10 minutes. Having flames licking the bbq sauces is a good thing.
Serving:
Stick a toothpick in each meatball and quickly take 1 or 2 for yourself because there will not be many left by the time you get back.