Turkey Meatballs in Cranberry BBQ Sauce

Turkey Meatballs:

• 1 pound ground turkey, thigh meat preferred
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• Zest from 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Cranberry BBQ Sauce:

• 12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Juice from 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 4-8 teaspoons water

1. Make the meatballs by placing the ground turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, onions, garlic, parsley, orange zest, tomato paste, salt and egg in a medium sized bowl. Gently mix with your hands until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Pinch off a lump and form 24 1-inch balls with your hands.
2. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch frying pan on medium heat and then place the meatballs in the skillet. Cook the meatballs until they are brown on all sides. They don’t need to be completely cooked on the inside. Cover the frying pan and set aside.
3. Place the cranberries in a blender or food processor and process until the berries are broken up into small bits. Scrape out cranberries into a 1 1/2 quart saucepan and add the brown sugar, tomato paste, white wine, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper (if using). Add 4 tablespoons of water to the pan and turn the heat to medium high. Cook stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Pour the cranberry BBQ sauce over the meatballs and stir to coat all the meatballs. Bring the sauce to a simmer, adding more water if it needs to be thinned down and then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through, with no pink on the inside.