Gingery Pork Meatballs

Your meatballs!  As promised.  I”ll cut right to the chase here: these are good.  You’re going to want to make them right away.

These little lovelies are meaty but light, flecked through with bits of fresh cilantro and ginger, full of brightness and zip, respectively.  And some spice, too, because I know you like to keep things interesting.  Maybe you’ll make these for your Super Bowl (slash Puppy Bowl, who are we kidding) party?  They’re great on their own, but I’ve also been throwing them into a simple broccoli, green curry coconut soup (recipe coming soon), where they feel like a hearty and healthy meal.

Perhaps notably, these are the kind of straightforward meatballs that skip any fillers like breadcrumbs or cheese, so they’re gluten- and dairy-free, which normally wouldn’t be my thing but which recently was kind of my thing, on account of the fact I was trying out that Whole 30 situation that’s going around.  I’ll just say that it was nice while it lasted (a Whole 13 days, oops) but we’ve since parted ways and I’m okay with it.  I’ll still be eating these meatballs.

(Also, these are a ONE PAN deal! In honor of easy deliciousness but also in honor of my new book, which comes out on Tuesday.  NO BIG DEAL HOLY CRAP.  Have you ordered your copy yet?  Please?)

Gingery Pork Meatballs

If you’d like to substitute chicken or turkey instead of pork here, I’d say go for it — just be sure to use dark meat so they’re not prone to drying out.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs ground pork
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 inches fresh ginger, grated
• 1 heaping tablespoon sambal oelek chili paste (more if you like more spice)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, and spray with olive oil cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing gently to ensure everything is well-mixed but being careful not to overly squish and squeeze the meat (overworking leads to tough meatballs).

Portion the pork mixture into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, gently forming them until round.  Place the meatballs on the prepared sheet pan, spaced evenly apart.

Bake the meatballs for 10-15 minutes, or until the bottoms start browning and a thermometer inserted into the thickest meatball registers 160 degrees F.

Enjoy the meatballs warm from the oven!  I love them in soup, but they’re great on their own, too.

Makes about small 45 meatballs (fewer if you make them bigger than 1 1/2-inches).