Paleo Dinner Recipes:
Pork & Apple Meatballs with Honey-Mustard Sauce
PREP/COOK TIME: 35 minutes
Meatballs are a great meal because not only can you choose from pretty much any side dishes, but you can also make the meatballs in all kinds of ways. Here we are using pork, adding apple, green onion and garlic into the mix, and browning them on the stove before finishing them off in the oven.
While they are baking you can prepare the dipping sauce, a simple combination of apple cider vinegar, honey and mustard. We suggest a green side dish with these – perhaps steamed kale or broccoli, or maybe a simple garden salad on the side.
Pork and apple have a beautiful affinity, and the apple not only complements the pork and adds a touch of sweetness to the meatballs, but it also lends moisture to the meatballs.
Ingredients:
For the Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs ground pork
1/3 cup finely chopped apple
1 finely chopped green onion
1 lightly beaten large egg
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons lard or ghee
For the Honey-Mustard Sauce:
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or you can make your own, here’s a good recipe)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the pork, apple, green onion, egg, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl, using your hands, until just combined. Shape the mixture into 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs.
Melt the lard or ghee in an oven-safe skillet, then cook the meatballs in there for 5 minutes, turning often, until browned all over. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 18 minutes or until they are cooked through.
Combine the apple cider vinegar, raw honey and Dijon mustard together to make the dipping sauce, then serve the meatballs with the sauce.
- 1½ lbs ground pork
- ⅓ cup finely chopped apple
- 1 finely chopped green onion
- 1 lightly beaten large egg
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lard or ghee
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the pork, apple, green onion, egg, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl, using your hands, until just combined. Shape the mixture into 1½-inch diameter meatballs.
- Melt the lard or ghee in an oven-safe skillet, then cook the meatballs in there for 5 minutes, turning often, until browned all over. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 18 minutes or until they are cooked through.
- Combine the apple cider vinegar, raw honey and Dijon mustard together to make the dipping sauce, then serve the meatballs with the sauce.
