Meatballs with Thyme & Onion Gravy

  

Like most people, I have been struggling with the rising costs of food these days. It is not hard to go to the shops, spend $100 and come home with one bag of groceries, if that.  The cost of beef, and even chicken has gone through the roof.  I am always looking for alternatives to use in their place.  

I still do buy chicken, but I tend to buy whole chickens and cut them up now. Every pack of chicken breasts I have bought over the past six months or so has been tough as shoe leather. What's up with that?  

I am sharing a meatball recipe with you today that uses lean ground pork. This is a very viable and delicious alternative to ground beef and is only about a third of the cost. Not only that, but they also come out tender and delicious! This is a small batch recipe which makes enough to serve two people generously. You can easily double this recipe to serve four. 

 

These meatballs are tender and juicy, use only a few simple ingredients, and have beautiful flavors. Garlic, milk, and Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, form the basis of the meatballs along with the ground pork.  These get roasted in the oven, while you make a delicious thyme and onion gravy, simply and easily, on top of the stove. 

Together, this makes a really quick, easy and delicious meal, served with some potatoes or rice and a vegetable on the side! Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way. You can't lose. Easy and economical!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

MEATBALLS WITH THYME & ONION GRAVY

There is nothing very complicated about these ingredients.  

For the Meatballs:

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces/250g) lean ground pork
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
• 4 TBS Italian bread crumbs
• 3 TBS milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

For the gravy:

• 1/2 medium onion, peeled and minced or finely chopped
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 TBS minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 TBS minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 TBS plain all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp beef bouillon concentrate (I use Better Than Bouillon)
• 2/3 cup (160ml) water

 

You can use ground beef with this recipe or even turkey if you are not fond of ground pork. The pork works well however and the meatballs come out juicy and well flavored.

If you don't have Italian breadcrumbs, you can use plain. In that case I would add 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning to the meatball mixture.

I grated the garlic for the meatballs and minced it for the gravy. I wanted the meatballs to have a smooth texture.

I used whole milk, regular fine sea salt and coarse black pepper.

Strip the leaves from your thyme and coarsely chop them with a sharp knife. It is not necessary to strip the leaves from the parsley.  Do wash them first and dry them well.

If you don't have beef bouillon concentrate, simply use a stock cube or some powdered beef bouillon. This will give your gravy color and flavor.

 

HOW TO COOK

MEATBALS WITH THYME & ONION GRAVY

This is not a very difficult recipe to execute and if you do a lot of the prep ahead of time, such as chopping the onions, herbs and garlic, it goes together very quickly!

1. Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with some baking parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Measure the breadcrumbs into a bowl. Measure in the milk, garlic, salt and black pepper. Whisk to combine and then let sit for five minutes. (This helps the breadcrumbs to absorb the milk.)
3. Crumble in the ground pork. Mix well using a fork, then shape into 12 equal sized meatballs. Place evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. (Use a light hand when mixing so that you don't toughen the meatballs.)
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. (Temperature should read 160*F/71*C with a meat thermometer.) (It is important to make sure they are cooked through.)
5. While the meatballs are cooking make the gravy.
6. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until they have softened, without browning. Stir in the thyme. (I chopped the onions really fine and grated the garlic.)
7. Whisk in the flour. Stir in the water and bouillon concentrate. (I use a small wire whisk.)
8. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to the boil and begins to thicken. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and leave to simmer until the meatballs are done. (It's important to cook the flour taste out of the gravy.)
9. Divide the meatballs between two heated serving plates and spoon the gravy over top.
10. Serve with some sort of starch and a vegetable on the side. On this day I chose roasted diced potatoes and some snap peas.

 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

FOR 

MEATBALLS WITH THYME & ONION GRAVY

This rich gravy lends itself beautifully to being served with potatoes, rice or even pasta. On this day I served them simply with some oven roasted cubed potatoes. Mashed or boiled potatoes would also go very well.

You can serve them with steamed rice, which can be any kind of rice that you enjoy!  Basmati, brown, or long grain all work well.  

As far as pasta goes, I would use egg noodles or Mafalda, bow ties, or any other wide, flat pasta.

I served with some cooked sugar snap peas, but you could serve any vegetables that you wish on the side. I think a green vegetable would look especially nice with this, but you can choose any vegetable which you enjoy!

 

FREQUENTLY 

ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I NEED TO USE GROUND PORK?

Not at all. You can also use ground beef or ground turkey. In either cake make sure the internal temperature is safely reached when done. For beef: 160*F/71*C.  For turkey:165*F/74*C.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED?

Absolutely!  Simply multiply ingredient amounts by two. The cook times will stay the same.

CAN THESE MEATBALLS BE MADE AHEAD?

For sure. You can make the meatball mixture ahead (up to 12 hours) before shaping and baking. Mix and store covered in the refrigerator. You can also cook them ahead of time, plus the gravy. Refrigerate, covered, separately, and then gently reheat when you are ready to serve. You can do this up to one day ahead.

CAN THESE BE FROZEN?

You can shape the meatballs and freeze them before cooking if you wish. Simply lay out onto a baking sheet. Freeze until solid and then place into an airtight zip lock baggie, label and store in the freezer for up to three months. Cooked meatballs can also be frozen in much the same way. To cook the frozen raw meatballs, place onto a prepared baking sheet, and cook in the preheated oven as per the recipe. They may take longer to achieve the internal temperature required.  Cooked meatballs may be placed on a baking sheet and simply heated through in a moderate oven. 

 

A FEW MORE

MEATBALL RECIPES YOU

MIGHT ENJOY

Meatballs make for a really simple and delicious meal option. Here are a few other recipes which you might also enjoy!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE MEATBALLS - These meatballs are really simple to make, using only five basic ingredients. They were also very quick to make. If you are using a really decent pork sausage you don't need a lot of extra ingredients! These are rich and delicious. You can make a simple gravy to serve with them if you wish, or you can add them to a marinara sauce to make spaghetti and meatballs.

FLAT MEATBALLS AND GRAVY - These delicious meatballs are more like tiny meat patties, in that they are shaped into a ball and then slightly flattened before browning in a bit of butter. The balls themselves are nicely flavored with onion and a few other bits. The browned meatballs are then simmered in the oven in a creamy gravy made using a tin of mushroom soup. (Don't judge.) 30 minutes later they are ready to serve.

  

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Yield: 2 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Meatballs with a Thyme & Onion Gravy

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Tender, juicy flavorful pork meatballs, with a lush thyme and onion gravy. A delicious combination.

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 1/2 pound (8 ounces/250g) lean ground pork
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
• 4 TBS Italian bread crumbs
• 3 TBS milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

For the gravy:

• 1/2 medium onion, peeled and minced or finely chopped
• 2 TBS butter
• 2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 TBS minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 TBS minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 TBS plain all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp beef bouillon concentrate (I use Better Than Bouillon)
• 2/3 cup (160ml) water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Line a baking tray with some baking parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Measure the breadcrumbs into a bowl. Measure in the milk, garlic, salt and black pepper. Whisk to combine and then let sit for five minutes.
3. Crumble in the ground pork. Mix well using a fork, then shape into 12 equal sized meatballs. Place evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. (Temperature should read 160*F/71*C with a meat thermometer.)
5. While the meatballs are cooking make the gravy.
6. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until they have softened, without browning. Stir in the thyme.
7. Whisk in the flour. Stir in the water and bouillon concentrate.
8. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to the boil and begins to thicken. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and leave to simmer until the meatballs are done.
9. Divide the meatballs between two heated serving plates and spoon the gravy over top.
10. Serve with some sort of starch and a vegetable on the side. On this day I chose roasted diced potatoes and some snap peas.

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