Apple Pork BBQ Meatballs

These meatballs are built for the two ends of the week that need the most help: the night you have people over, and the Tuesday when nobody has energy to cook from scratch. One batch covers both, and the sauce holds up in the refrigerator long enough that the second half of the week gets easier because of something you did on the first.

Blackstrap molasses earns its place in this sauce beyond flavor: it's a meaningful source of iron and calcium, both worth paying attention to while the list of foods you're eating from is narrower than usual. Beta-carotene comes along from the pumpkin too, a smaller note next to the iron and calcium, but a real one.

Ground pork asks for a little respect too, even shaped into something as ordinary as a meatball. Use a pan you actually plan to use again for the sauce, taste as you go, and let this be a meal instead of something you're grinding through to get to the end of dinner.

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons pork panko or ground pork rinds
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the BBQ sauce:

• 2 tablespoons pork panko or ground pork rinds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup unfiltered apple juice
• 1/4 cup unsulphured blackstrap molasses
• 1/4 cup organic pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine the ground pork, chopped onion, 2 tablespoons pork panko, 1 tablespoon applesauce, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Mix until just combined. Overmixing makes meatballs dense, so stop when everything is evenly incorporated.
3. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter and arrange on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between them.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned on the outside.
5. While the meatballs bake, make the BBQ sauce. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons pork panko, 1/2 cup applesauce, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, molasses, pumpkin puree, and 1 teaspoon sea salt in a small saucepan. Stir together and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens slightly.
6. When the meatballs come out of the oven, add them to the saucepan or a large bowl and toss to coat well in the sauce.
7. Serve hot. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven.

*Adapted from Wendi's AIP Kitchen*