Pork Meatballs

My sister Emma asked me to explore the wonderful world of meatballs after an experiment of hers went terribly terribly wrong. She mistakenly thought I would have a better idea of how to make them and could walk her step by step through the process. While I really like the recipe seen below, it wasn’t what I would call a crowning moment of cooking glory.

Here’s a sad confession – I don’t like touching raw meat. It’s one of the reasons I don’t have many meat recipes up on the blog (the other being that meat’s really expensive). The full body shudders and the facial expressions I made while rolling the meatballs would have you believe I was elbow deep in tarantulas or something. Luckily, the end result was totally worth subjecting myself to several five minute long hand washings.

Pork Meatballs

Adapted from Lottie & Doof and Wednesday Chef 

I know one traditionally makes meatballs using onion powder and garlic powder, but I didn’t have either in my spice cabinet. But luckily I had an onion and garlic on hand and used the real things in these meatballs. It made for wetter, less meaty meatball but it still tastes pretty awesome. They also store wonderfully. I liked them ever more the second and third day; I stuffed them back into the sauce jar (with sauce) and they had infused the sauce with pork flavor and the meatballs had a chance to really absorb all the moisture from the oil inside.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork

1 egg

1/2 cup Panko

1/4 heaping cup of grated parmesan

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 jar prepared pasta sauce

Equipment:

Pot, large pan, mixing bowl, garlic press

Prepare onion mixture: Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a pan and heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Take pan off the heat and place into mixing bowl.

Prepare meatballs: In the same mixing bowl, add herbs, cheese, breadcrumbs, pork, and eggs. Mix well with hands. Form mixture into balls about 1 inch to 1.5 inches in diameter and place on a plate.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs in individually and make sure the pan isn’t too crowded (you can brown the meatballs in multiple batches).  Brown for about 5 minutes, using a spoon to ensure all sides of the meatball has an even color.

Prepare the final product: Heat prepared pasta sauce in a large pot to a simmer. Remove the meatballs from their pan with a slotted spoon and gently place in sauce. Cook for at least 30 minutes up to an hour and a half.

Freezer friendly tip: You can freeze the meatballs after cooking. Simply place entire sauce and meatball mixture into an airtight, freezer safe container and store. Let defrost in refrigerator and heat again in pot or in microwave to eat.