I LOVE Ham Balls!

The name of this blog is "My Cows AND Pigs", and some of you may be wondering, what about the pigs!?!  Anyone who knows me knows that pigs are my passion.  Unfortunately, there isn't enough room for them on our current farm location, so I must live vicariously through the producers for whom I work at Bethany Animal Hospital, where I get to work with wonderful family farmers that raise pork for your table. 
Tonite, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite recipes - Ham Balls!  They do take a little bit of work, but boy, is it worth it! 
This isn't a family recipe, but one that I hodge-podged from the church cookbook.  Try them out, and use the coupon available at http://www.ilpork.com/ for $1 off any pork product through 1/31/11.

Halfway done......My mouth is watering! :-)

Ham Balls
1 1/2 lb. ground pork
1 1/2 lb. ground ham (try a local butcher shop, or take a ham & run it thru the food processor)
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
3 eggs
2 sleeves (or a little less - use to desired texture) crackers, crushed
1/3 c. brown sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients.  Form into balls (makes 24, ~2, 9x13 pans).  Bake at 325 for 1 hour, basting with sauce after 15 minutes & every 15 minutes during cooking.

Sauce: (I triple the sauce recipe b/c the sauce is the best part!)
1 tsp. dry mustard
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. pineapple juice
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Enjoy some of the fruits of our labor - pork recipes from our table to yours!  Thanks to Karen Fredrickson & Linda Dutton of Little Cedar church in Little York, IL for allowing me to hodge-podge their recipes together!