My kids are in love with the meatballs I make from pastured pork. I get this tasty, nutrient dense meat courtesy of a local farm where the pigs are free to run around outside in sunlight that is rich in UVB rays which pigs use to produce Vitamin D.
These happy hogs compare with the unfortunate and miserable animals from huge hog confinement operations known as CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations). Believe it or not, a single CAFO building housing confined pigs might hold 1,000 or more sows or 10,000 or more market hogs! These poor animals don’t even have enough room to turn around in most cases!
Do you want your pork to come from these animals? I sure don’t! There’s no way I want one red cent of my food dollars to go to the companies that treat animals this way not to mention that this type of industrialized farm is detrimental to the environment and the food produced from it will not compare with the nutrition from hogs living outside in the fresh air and sunlight.
When you make the effort to obtain truly pastured ground pork from happy hogs to make meatballs, you will be delighted to discover very little seasoning is required as the taste is fabulous and rich all on its own.
These pastured pork meatballs can be served alone with veggies cooked in butter (my usual way) or can be used for that occasional bowl of spaghetti and meatballs if you desire. Another idea is to slice them in half, add a homemade marinara or pizza sauce, melt some cheese on top and serve on sourdough buns.
Leftover meatballs are great to pack in lunchboxes the next day too. My problem is that most of the meatballs are gone so fast I don’t have hardly any leftovers. I had to practically arm wrestle my teenager to snap the picture above before all the meatballs were gone from the baking pan!
Pastured Pork Meatballs
Makes about 30 meatballs
Ingredients
1 – 1 1/2 lb pastured ground pork
1 egg
2 slices sourdough or sprouted bread
1/4 cup traditionally brewed soy sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
Place bread slices in a food processor and pulse until you have made bread crumbs.
Place ground pork in a bowl and mix in bread crumbs and egg with your hands. Add sea salt, pepper and soy sauce and mix again.
Form meatballs with your hands slightly smaller than the size of a ping pong ball. Place meatballs on a stainless steel baking pan or a glass baking dish and bake on 350F until browned and thoroughly cooked (about 40 minutes).
Serve immediately.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
These are great – I usually do a mixture of pastured ground beef and pork and I substitute soaked oatmeal If I haven’t any bread on hand. I will try all pork next time. Thanks!
Never tried it with soaked oatmeal. I really like that idea! I made my chili with half pastured ground pork and half ground grassfed beef … will have to try for meatballs. I do like that flavor variation.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Pastured Pork Meatballs
Hi Sarah, I live in Ormond Beach,fl, can you tell me from which farm you get your pork from please, I can’t find it around here,maybe i can order maybe from online or I can drive by thanks
Thanks again healthyhomeeconomist for a dinner idea today for the family! I happen to have a little package of pastured pork from the farm sitting in my freezer!
We don’t eat pork. Got any ideas for goat meat? We have three we’re taking to the butcher this weekend…
I was just thinking to use goat meat to make these. We don’t have access to pasture raised pork, but we do to pasture raised goat.
You can sub ground grassfed beef or buffalo if you like. I love goat meat but only eat it when I go to a local Indian restaurant.
yum,yum,yum,yum – I’ll take the sour dough with marinara sauce and some cheese please. with a tall glass of fresh milk please.
Pork meatballs are my favorite. You can do so many variations. I like parsley and kale added to my regular pork meatballs (also with an egg). But when I use the tamari I make them without breadcrumbs. Just egg, lots of cilantro, a Tbsp. coconut oil, tamari, ginger, scallions and/or green onions, etc. And I know it’s not the best for you, but a dash of toasted sesame oil makes them really really delicious. They taste just like potsticker/dumpling fillings without the breading. You can make a simple soy, rice vinegar, ginger dipping sauce too. They’re a hit around here and so easy. Oh and I bake mine for only 18 minutes at 400. They’re really tender that way.
Pork is a dangerous meat, thanks for the goat suggestion have never tried it! Need to see where I can find some!
I don’t eat pork either, so I think I will make mine with ground beef or turkey.
My kids’ favorite lunch is leftover meatballs. I use grass fed hamburger and pork rinds in place of he breadcrumbs. I have to make 2lbs. for 4 people for dinner and lunches each time.
Hi Sarah,
I read on WAPF’s site that pork should always be marinated in ACV. What are your thoughts?
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Adrienne & Sarah,
I am wondering the same thing about the pork. Is there a way to soak/marinate ground pork in ACV? It seems easy enough with chops, roasts, etc. Thanks!
Cannot wait to get home and try this!! We are on vacation visiting with family who do not agree with the real food concept. They refuse to read labels!! Anyway my 9 year old son was being given french toast with maple syrup and butter. He was sitting and looked at the label for the “maple syrup.” He exclaimed with horror that it had high fructose corn syrup. My father in law and son proceeded to have an arguement whether it was maple syrup or not. My son concluded his arguement that it couldn’t be maple syrup since that wasn’t even on the label of ingredients. So proud of my boy! My father in law argued about using common sense. My son said it wasn’t common sense to call it maple syrup if it isn’t even in there!
Haha, I hope my son ends up that way
We went to my Dad’s for a BBQ and I asked if he’d like to have some of our organic no-filler beef sausages (just some herbs added). He said no, that he likes his beef sausages from the supermarket. I looked at the list of ingredients and it said it MAY contain lamb, pork, beef, venison, etc, – ‘may’ – what?! They were also called beef flavoured sausages. Seriously… sigh…
We love our pastured pork! Thanks for the recipe.
Hello Sarah,
Looks delicious!! I was wondering too about eating fresh pork.
It was my understanding that it has undesirable effects on the blood.
The Farmstead Meatsmith said on one of the videos you posted on here that
you can marinate or salt any cut of pork. In the study posted on the WAP website
it said that cured or marinated pork did not affect the blood but fresh pork caused
clotting type activity. What are your thoughts on this?
I too use the combo of good ground pork and pastured ground beef. I make them all up into the balls, cook them and then cool and freeze in small baggies…. 4-6 a bag since it is just my husband and I. I am always ready for spaghetti and meatballs……… or a good meatball sandwich…… or as you said, just served with veggies.
I also have my homemade sauce in small containers in the freezer so all bases covered..
Another idea is use some of your frozen bone broth ad make a gravy for them. Again they can be served alone or on egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Hi-I live in central Florida, what is the name of the farm your pastured pork comes from?
Thanks
We don’t eat pork. I was wondering why you do as it’s considered an un-edible animal, kind of like eating a dog. A pigs natural diet is rotten stuff. We see pigs cleaning up the rubbish in India all the time. Thanks for the recipe though and will try it sometime with beef or goat meat…
Just made these last night! I like to add fish sauce and fresh parsley to mine – so yummy…
Sarah, is there any reason why you bake instead of frying them? Thanks so much for all your recipes!
Great recipe! Thanks.
Wondering where you get pastured pork? I saw you are in Central FL and so are we. Could you tell where the farm is?
I made these tonight and they were delicious! I used Braggs liquid aminos. Is that a traditionally brewed soy sauce or is it no different than regular? Thanks for the recipe!
Darla, we make ours with Braggs Liquid Aminos, too…so delicious!
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