Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This is my mother-in-law's recipe that she created for a Cattlewoman's cook off.  She didn't win, but I think it is pretty wonderful.  I really like this recipe because it doesn't have any bell peppers or tomato products in the sauce.  Sorry I don't have any pictures for this recipe.  Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
For the meatballs:
1.5 lbs ground beef, venison, or a mixture of the two
1 c bread crumbs
1 c milk
1 egg
1 medium onion, grated (this hides the onion from people who normally wouldn't eat it)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or if you have the minced garlic in a jar, then about 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

For the sauce:
1 c sugar (Splenda works perfectly if you want to cut back on calories or for diabetics)
3/4 c apple cider vinegar
2 c water
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple
1 tsp salt
water and cornstarch to thicken

Using a mixer (or your hands if you want), combine all the meatball ingredients and mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

I hate rolling the meatballs and frying all of them.  You can do this if you wish, but I prefer to bake the meat.  There are two ways I do this, depending on my level of ambition.  If I want to make actual meat"balls", I use a melon baller to make uniform balls, place them on a jelly roll sheet (the one with an edge), and bake them in a 375 degree oven until they are cooked through.  If I don't want to spend all the time making the balls, I evenly spread the meat mixture into a jelly roll pan, then cut 1 inch squares using a pizza cutter.  Leave the meat in the jelly roll pan to cook it, again in a 375 degree oven until it is cooked through.  The meatballs will then be meat squares, but the flavor doesn't depend on the shape of the meat!

In a dutch oven, or a large sauce pan, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and turn the heat on low.  Add the meatballs once the sugar is dissolved, cover, and let simmer for 1 hour.  Gently stir periodically, but be careful not to break apart the meatballs. About 10 minutes before serving, in a small bowl, mix about 2 heaping tbsp of cornstarch with enough water to make a thick liquid.  Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and gently stir.  Let it return to a simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thicker.  Serve the sweet and sour meatballs over rice.  Enjoy!