Makes 4 main or 8 appetizer servings. Can freeze for several months. Warm them, covered, at 300 till hot.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup water (or 1/2 cup mirin)
1 Tbsp ginger, minced (1 inch)
1 garlic clove, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 egg, beaten
pepper
Oven 450. Rimmed baking sheet greased with 1 Tbsp oil.
In a small pan, make teriyaki sauce: Combine soy sauce, honey, water, ginger, garlic, and green onions. Bring to boil. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, mix ground beef, egg, half the teriyaki sauce, and pepper. Make into meatballs.
Bake, turning as needed, 8 to 12 minutes.
Use remaining half of teriyaki sauce for dipping.
Swedish Meatballs
Use 1/2 pound ground pork and 1/2 pound ground beef. Don’t make teriyaki sauce. Instead, add to the meat/egg mixture: 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, some salt, and plenty of pepper.
Make a white sauce: Sauté 1 chopped onion in 3 Tbsp butter, a few minutes. Stir in 3 Tbsp flour and cook another few minutes. Add 1 cup beef broth and cook, stirring constantly, until thick like a gravy. Add 1/4 cup cream. Pour over meatballs or serve as dipping sauce.
Adapted from How to Cook Everything Fast by Mark Bittman.