There’s something so comforting about the flavours of pork, apple, and sage. They’re a classic combination that never fails to impress. In this recipe, I’ve paired juicy apple and sage pork balls with a smooth and creamy butternut squash and thyme sauce for a dish that’s both hearty and elegant. It’s the perfect balance of savoury and sweet. Ideal for a cosy dinner or to impress guests with something a little different.
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Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Grater
- Sharp knife
- Tablespoon
- Baking tray
- Blender
Ingredients for the pork balls
- Pork mince x 500g
- Apples x 2 small or 1 medium
- Sage a 1 handful
- Ground flax seed or breadcrumbs x 4 tbsps
- Tamari x 2 tbsp
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method to making the pork balls
- Put the pork mince into a large mixing bowl.
- Grate the apple and add to the mixing bowl.
- Peel and grate the courgette and add to the mixing bowl.
- Finely chop the sage leaves and add to the mixing bowl.
- Add in the ground flax seed or breadcrumbs and tamari.
- Sprinkle over salt and pepper to taste.
- Dampen your hands under the tap.
- Scrunch all the ingredients together.
- Divide the mixture into 4 equal ish parts.
- Grab a piece of one of the part.
- Shape the piece into a ball between your hands.
- You may need to dampen your hands a couple of times during this process.
- Each quarter should make 3 to 4 pork balls.
- Place the pork balls onto the plate.
- Place the plate into the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C or gas mark 6.
- Spread oil across the base of a baking tray, if necessary.
- Once the oven is preheated place the pork balls onto the baking tray.
- Put the tray into the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
- Or until the pork balls are golden and the juices are running clear.
- Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Ingredients for the butternut squash sauce
- Butternut squash x 500g
- Onion x 1
- Garlic x 2
- Carrots x 1
- Thyme x 1 handful
- Olive oil
- Cannellini beans x 1 tin (or a white bean of your choice)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chicken stock x 500mls
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C or gas mark 6.
- Peel and cut lengthways the butternut squash.
- Remove the seeds with a spoon if necessary.
- Dice the flesh of the squash.
- Peel, slice and dice the carrots.
- Peel and slice the onion.
- Remove the skin from the garlic.
- Pull down on the thyme stalk to remove the leaves.
- Put these ingredients into the baking tray and add oil.
- Sprinkle over the salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss all of these ingredients together.
- Place the baking tray into the oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes.
- Or until the vegetables have gone a golden brown colour.
- When the are done remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Once cooled place the vegetables into the blender.
- Open the tinned cannellini beans and drain through a colander.
- Wash under the tap and add to the blender cup.
- Pour in the chicken stock and blend these ingredients together.
- Blend until smooth.
- Then serve with the pork balls and rice.
- Finally enjoy.
Apple and Sage Pork Balls were delicious . We hope you enjoy this deliciously comforting recipe as much as we did! The combination of apple, sage, and butternut squash makes every bite full of warmth and flavour. All of the ingredients in the dish are freezable. That means you could make this dish in advance of a meal. Don’t forget to let me know how your Apple and Sage Pork Balls turn out. I love hearing your twists and serving ideas! However you decide to eat this dinner, as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 