Pork Meatballs With Home-made Baked Beans

By Marion McGivern - March 18, 2024
meatballs
Image courtesy of Bacofoil.

Ingredients

  • 1tsp butter
  • 4 spring onions, sliced finely
  • 500g (1 lb 2 oz) lean pork mince
  • 1 egg
  • A few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
  • Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
  • For the Baked Beans:
  • 2tsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • ½tsp paprika
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1tbsp honey
  • 1tbsp wine or cider vinegar
  • 2 x 400g tins haricot or cannellini beans (or mixed beans) in water, drained and rinsed
  • A few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
  • Potato wedges and steamed green vegetables, to serve
Recipe courtesy of Bacofoil

Meatballs are a staple of any family meal plan. But home-made beaked beans? Hear us out! They may take a little longer to prepare than the kind that comes in a can, but you won’t regret it.

Serves: 4
Cooking time: 35-40min

To make meatballs and beans:

  1. To make the meatballs, first melt the butter in a pan and gently fry the spring onions over a low heat for 1-2min, until just soft but not brown. Then set aside.
  2. Tip the pork mince into a large bowl and add the egg and thyme.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Mix the ingredients together using clean hands, then add the breadcrumbs and spring onions and mix thoroughly. Leave to rest for about 10min.
  5. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 170°C, 325°F, Gas Mark 3 and line a deep baking tray with Bacofoil® The Non-Stick Kitchen Foil.
  6. Shape the meat mixture into 12 evenly sized balls and bake in the pre-heated oven for 15min, until just starting to go golden brown but not quite cooked.
  7. While the meatballs are cooking, you can make the baked beans. Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and carrot over a medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until they soften, then add the garlic and paprika. Fry for a further minute.
  8. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, ketchup, honey and vinegar and bring to a gentle simmer for 15min.
  9. Add 100ml (3½ fl oz) cold water then use a stick blender to purée the sauce roughly, leaving a few chunky pieces depending on how you like it.
  10. Add the beans to the sauce mixture, then tip the contents of the pan into the baking tray with the meatballs.
  11. Cook uncovered for a further 15min, until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are completely cooked through. Sprinkle over some chopped parsley to finish off the dish.
  12. Serve with potato wedges and some steamed green vegetables for a deliciously warming and satisfying meal.

Sounds like just what we need right now!

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