MOINK balls are one of those appetizers that are oh-so-simple to make but will be gone as soon as you set them down.  

Created several years ago by my brother in smoke Larry Gaian, MOINK balls are the tasty combination of beef (moo) and pork (oink) in the form of frozen beef meatballs wrapped in bacon then smoked to perfection.  Brush them with a little barbecue sauce and you're good to go!  Note that while you can make your own meatballs, Larry's original recipe keeps it simple (stupid) with the precooked frozen variety.

MOINK BALLS RECIPE

Ingredients

36 frozen beef meatballs, defrosted

12 slices bacon

1/4 cup BBQ dry rub

1 cup cherry chipotle barbecue sauce (recipe follows)

Instructions

Prepare grill for indirect cooking, placing pre-heated Kingsford briquets on one side of the charcoal grate and leaving the other side of the grill cool.  Add 2-3 chunks of your favorite smoking wood to the charcoal, place main cooking grate on the grill, and cover the grill until ready to use.

To prepare the MOINK balls, cut bacon slices into thirds and wrap each meatball with bacon.  Secure bacon with a toothpick then dust meatballs with BBQ dry rub seasoning.  Place MOINK balls on the cool side of the grill, cover, and allow them to cook for 20-25 minutes until the bacon is browned and crisp.  

Remove the MOINK balls from the grill, dip in barbecue sauce to coat, and serve immediately.

CHERRY CHIPOTLE BBQ SAUCE

Ingredients

1 (18oz.) bottle barbecue sauce

1/4 cup cherry juice

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

Instructions

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat for approximately 10 minutes until the cherry juice has reduced and the sauce has thickened.  Remove from the heat and use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.