Maple Mustard Pork Meatballs
These maple mustard pork meatballs bring a sweet, tangy glaze to a Christmas dinner platter without repeating the site’s pork tenderloin recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground pork raw; generic regular ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup 2% milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup whole-grain Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with oven-safe parchment. Soak breadcrumbs in milk for 3 minutes in a large bowl.
- Stir egg, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper into the crumbs. Gently mix in raw ground pork. Divide into 24 equal meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches across, and arrange with space between them.
- Bake for roughly 18–23 minutes until several large meatballs register 160°F in the center. Ground pork needs 160°F; the lower temperature used for whole pork cuts does not apply.
- Meanwhile simmer maple syrup, mustard, vinegar and water in a saucepan for about 3–5 minutes. Transfer fully cooked meatballs into the hot glaze with a clean utensil. Leave rendered tray fat behind. Toss gently, then divide into 6 portions of 4 meatballs with one-sixth of the glaze.
- Serve promptly or hold at or above 140°F. Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F). Store at 40°F or below for 3–4 days and reheat to 165°F.
Notes
Nutrition conservatively counts all raw-pork fat even though some renders onto the tray and is left behind; actual consumed fat may be lower. All glaze counted. Ground pork is not a lean or low-carb claim. Contains egg, milk and wheat; mustard labels vary. Cooking times are estimates; this recipe has not been kitchen-tested.