The Pork Meatballs with Orange are fragrant and delicious. I wanted to change the flavor of the usual meatball, the cooking method, and in doing so, I came up with a truly delightful recipe. I realize it may not be easy to find many orange leaves, but no problem because bay leaves work just fine. A simple and quick dish even if baked, suitable for everyone, even those less experienced in cooking. The orange scent, given by the leaves and especially by the essential oils released by the peel due to the heat, will perfume the whole house. If you can, I recommend using untreated oranges.
For the procedure, I made a small video, to be viewed on the pages of Facebook Instagram and Pinterest
Here are some recipes to try with orange:
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12 meatballs
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz ground pork
- 3.5 oz Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 red onion
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- to taste salt
- 12 leaves orange or bay leaves
- to taste breadcrumbs for coating
- 1 orange juice and zest
- 1 orange to slice
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Baking dish
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Grater
How to prepare Pork Meatballs with Orange
To prepare the Pork Meatballs with Orange, as always, I recommend organizing your workspace with all the necessary ingredients already measured.
This way, you will have everything at hand, and your work will definitely be easier and faster.
Thoroughly wash the oranges, dry them, grate all the zest from one, and then squeeze the juice.
Pour the ground pork into the bowl and add all the ingredients, one by one, trying to mix them as best as possible.
If in the end, the mixture is too soft due to the orange juice, add Parmesan cheese rather than breadcrumbs.
Shape the meatballs, coat them in breadcrumbs, and place them in the baking dish, which should be previously greased with half the extra virgin olive oil.
Place the orange leaves between each meatball, previously washed under running water and dried.
Drizzle the remaining extra virgin olive oil on the surface of the meatballs, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F, in convection mode for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the remaining orange, open the oven, and place half a slice on each meatball.
Bake again, and let cook for another 5 minutes.
In this way, the essential oils released by the zest will make the meat very fragrant.
Serve your Pork Meatballs with Orange freshly baked, but they are also delicious at room temperature.
Tips, Variants, and Storage
The meatballs keep perfectly in the fridge, both cooked and raw, but always place them inside a ceramic or glass container with an airtight seal.
You can freeze them without problems, but be careful with the thawing, which must be done slowly in the fridge.
Never thaw dishes outside, at room temperature.
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