Abigail Richardson won first place in the six- to eight-year-old age division of the Kids Que competition at Pork and Brew in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Abby is six years old. She used a Weber kettle grill and Kingsford charcoal for her competition win. Great job, Abby—those kabobs sound delicious!
YIELD: 8 MEATBALLS • COOK TIME: 9–12 MINUTES
TERIYAKI SAUCE
½ cup (120 ml) soy sauce
⅓ cup (79 ml) honey
¼ cup (60 ml) sherry
1 clove garlic, smashed
¼ tsp ground ginger
MEATBALLS
1 lb (454 g) ground beef
1 cup (121 g) panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp (10 g) garlic pepper
1 tbsp (7 g) onion powder
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp (28 g) brown sugar, packed
1 egg
4 wooden skewers
GARNISH
Pineapple chunks
Sweet peppers, sliced into ¾” (2-cm) pieces
To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together until combined. Set the sauce aside.
For the meatballs, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl plus ½ cup (120 ml) of the teriyaki sauce. Mix until well combined. Roll the meatball mixture into approximately 2-inch (5-cm) balls. Allow the meatballs to rest for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
While the meatballs are resting, prepare your grill for indirect cooking and heat to 350 to 400°F (176 to 204°C). Once the grill is hot, place the meatballs on the cool side of the grill, away from the heat. Turn the meatballs every 2 to 3 minutes until all sides are browned and the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C), 9 to 12 minutes total. You will know they are done when the juice runs clear.
Once the meatballs are cooked, take them off the grill and place them in a shallow bowl. Pour the remaining teriyaki sauce over the meatballs. Cover them with foil and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.
While the meatballs are resting, prepare the wooden skewers by cutting each in half. On each skewer, place 1 chunk of pineapple, 1 slice of sweet pepper and 1 meatball. Enjoy!