My Mother, Catherine Butler (Kate), is 84 this year and this is one of her favorite recipes. She and my Aunt Louise always made this on our monthly get-togethers merging two large families. My Aunt always made the meatballs and my Mother would make the sauce and would work together to present it to a large,hungry, diverse group. This was loved by one and all probably as much for the comraderie as for the meal itself. A favorite family story revolves around the time my Aunt, at the request of her ignorant husband, set out to make the meal for just their 5. What a surprise when they sat down to a meal of meatballs and nothing else!
SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS
1 LB Hamburger 1 Can Chunk Pineapple (w/juice or syrup)
1 tsp Salt 1/4 Cup Bown Sugar
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger 2 Tblsp Cornstarch
1 Egg 1/4 Cup Vinegar
1 tsp Water 1 Tblsp Soy sauce
1/2 Cup Flour 2 Peppers (cut into chunks)
3 Tblsp Cooking oil Optional cut up tomato
Mix hamburg, salt and ginger well with hands and shape into balls slightly larger than a walnut.
Beat together egg and water, dip meatballs in egg mixture and roll in flour. Heat oil in an iron fry pan and brown meat. Remove from pan. Drain syrup from pineapple and add enough water to syrup to make 1 Cup (saving pineapple for later). Stir juice and water into pan of drippings, add brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and soy sauce. Cook 3 minutes, then add meat balls (and tomato chunks if desired). Stir well and simmer 15 minutes. Serve with cooked rice.