Maple Glazed Pork Meatballs - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Meatballs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 small granny smith apple, peeled, cored, finely diced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground pork
1 egg
1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Glaze
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preparation

To make meatballs: Line a baking sheet with foil.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion. Cook until translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in apples, ginger and garlic. Cook 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool.
In a large bowl, combine pork, egg, breadcrumbs, milk, maple syrup, fennel, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Add onion mixture. Mix with your hands until uniform. Roll by tablespoonfuls into 1-inch balls. Arrange on prepared sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
To make glaze: Whisk together maple syrup, tomato paste, apple juice and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.
Brush meatballs with half of glaze. Bake 10 minutes. Brush with remaining glaze. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cooked through. Serve warm.