Ham Balls with Pineapple and Chipotle Drizzle

Begin by adding the ham, eggs, onion, and homemade breadcrumbs to a large bowl. Mix well.

Add the panko breadcrumbs to a plate.

Take enough of the ham mixture and form it into a golfball-sized shape. Once formed, press it down a bit with your thumb. This is where you will take a cube of the Swiss cheese and place it in the middle of the ham ball. Form it back into a ball and roll it into the panko breadcrumbs. Place on a separate plate. Repeat.

Once all of the balls are formed, place the plate of balls into the freezer and let them form and solidify, approximately 30 minutes.

During this time, make the glaze. Add the pineapple, water, and chipotle pepper to a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Add the mixture to the blender and pulse it down to a nice puree. A bit of texture is just fine.

Heat the oil in a pot on the stove. Heat it on medium high heat until you reach about 375ºF.

Take the ham balls out of the freezer and add a few to the heated oil, moving them around until they are all nice and golden brown. This will only take about 5 minutes, if that.

Remove the balls with a slotted spoon onto a paper-lined plate, and sprinkle them with a pinch of salt. Repeat.

When you are ready to plate and serve, add the balls to a serving plate, and add the sauce in a small bowl. This plating allowed for a nice drizzle of the sauce on the ham ball. Pure delight through and through. A great crunch on the exterior, while nice and fluffy on the inside, this ham ball was perfect with the sweet heat from the sauce.

Simple, comforting, and great to make for a party, these ham balls are something wonderful.