INGREDIENTS

For the Brine:

• 2 lbs 80/20 Ground Beef
• 1/2 block Mozarella Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 Mexican Oregano
• 4 tbsp Salt
• 3 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 5-6 Tomatoes
• 1/4 Olive Oil
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter
• 3 tbsp Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp Crushed Garlic 
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Let's start by building a log cabin fire with B&B Mesquite Cooking Wood. While that’s burning down, we'll start preparing the meatballs to grill.
2. In a large mixing bowl add the 2lbs of beef, one egg, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup of Mexican oregano (leaving a little to the side), 3 tablespoons of red pepper flakes, a light drizzle of olive oil, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon crushed garlic and mix thoroughly.
3. Once all ingredients are thoroughly mixed, start to form 4 to 5 ounce balls roughly the size of a plum. Then make a small indentation and insert a cube of your mozzarella cheese and fold over.  Rub the meatball together to form a spherical shape and set to the side.  Continue to repeat the steps until you've used all of your ground beef mixture.
4. Now that the meatballs are formed, lightly oil your grates if needed. I'm cooking on an outpost set up which allows me to swing my grades in and out and raise and lower them from my mesquite splits.  Set your meatballs on your grate, roughly medium height away from your fire. They're going to start cooking.
5. As the meatballs cook, prepare the tomatoes for the sauce.  Properly rinse tomatoes, slice them in half, lightly drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and the remaining Mexican oregano and freshly cracked black pepper. Then set them on your grate over your fire. This is going to cause them to roast and char up nicely, absorbing that amazing mesquite flavor that will add so much depth to the sauce. 
6. At this time, make sure to rotate your meatballs so that they're cooking evenly.
7. Next, remove the tomatoes from the grate, place them in a large pan and begin to break the tomatoes apart. You can do this with a fork, but if you have an emulsifier or a blender, this will really expedite the process. Add in another pinch of salt, freshly cracked pepper and any additional Mexican oregano you may have, and lightly drizzle a little olive oil.
8. Blend until slightly smooth. I like my sauce with a little bit of texture and a bit of chunks of the tomatoes, but this is completely a personal preference. Place the pot on a low simmer then go and grab your meatballs and set them inside of the pot with the sauce. Cover, allowing all of the flavors to meld together properly.
9. As the meatballs and sauce are simmering, cut bread in half, cut little cubes of your unsalted butter, and set them on top of your bread. Sprinkle Mexican oregano, black pepper and shredded parmesan cheese on top and place over the grill grate to toast.  It should take roughly 2 to 3 minutes once complete.
10. Remove from heat, slice and serve with one or two of your now sauced meatballs.