1. Preheat oven to 400F degree. Line a baking sheet with foil

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottom saucepan on medium heat and sauté the onions until they start to brown. Set aside and let cool 5 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, pork, cooled onions, ritz, egg, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper mix using your hands. Ensure that the mixture is well incorporated and form 2 inch meatballs stuffing with mozzarella.

4. Using the same saucepan, add the remaining olive oil and bring heat to medium. Once the pan is hot add the meatballs and brown on each side about 2 minutes per side. You can do this in batches if you prefer. Once all your meatballs have been browned place on your baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

5. In the meantime start to prepare your sauce. Using the same pan, at a low heat, deglaze the pan with a splash of bourbon and add the jar of apricot preserve, brown sugar, hot sauce, and barbecue sauce. Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat a little to medium-low and slowly poor in the bourbon and add the orange zest and thyme. Stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. This should take the same amount of time as the meatballs in the oven.

6. Once the meatballs have baked, return them to the pan tossing in the sauce.