Recipe Time: Pork & Apple Meatballs
I am a big, big fan of meatballs.
Turkey. Pork. Beef. You name the protein.
What’s better than food in a little ball? They cook quickly, they’re fun to eat and they freeze well, in a form that’s grabworthy and easily defrostable come time to enjoy them next time. I send them in my kids’ lunches. (They look cute in the containers, though the teenagers most certainly don’t care.) And imagine these meatballs in butternut squash soup!
This recipe, adapted from irenamacri.com, is easy-peezy and offers up all the tastes of fall, with apples, sage and a hint of cinnamon.
First … a few words about pork:
• Some of you don’t eat pork for religious reasons. Or you just don’t like it. OK, no problem. This would taste delicious with ground turkey.
• You may worry pork is unhealthy as a “red meat.” Fair concern, though quality matters. Look for brands without added hormone and antibiotics. Better still, source pork from farmers who give pigs a happy life outdoors. Pigs will eat anything and everything, so it’s good to know they’ve received quality feed.
• A few brands of ground pork I like: Organic Prairie, Mulay’s, Applegate, Niman Ranch and Wild Pastures (bulk delivery service).
• 3 oz. of ground pork packs a hefty dose of 6 B vitamins(!!) as well as zinc, selenium and potassium. That I call nutrient density.
Back to the recipe…
Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground pork
1.5 apples, peeled and finely diced
1.5 tsp. garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1.5 tsp. onion powder
1/2 to 1 tsp. white pepper (to taste)
1 T ground sage (or 2 T chopped fresh sage)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (less if you to minimize sweetness)
1/2 to 1 tsp. sea salt (to taste)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with a non-bleached sheet of parchment paper.
Combine spices, apples and pork in a large bowl.
Mix well with your hands.
Form 30-35 meatballs (~1.5 inches each). Space them meatballs evenly on the baking sheet.
Bake about 20 minutes. (Or until internal temp reaches 145° F on a meat thermometer.) I switch on the broiler at the end to brown the outsides.
Serve with your favorite side dishes. Taking Irena’s lead, I love these with zoodles (spiraled zucchini sautéed with garlic, olive oil, S&P.) The meatballs are also delicious with a side of roasted veggies, such as carrots, parsnips and broccoli. Next, I will plop them in butternut squash soup. I can hardly wait …
Servings: 6-8
