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Pork and apple meatballs in creamy cider sauce

Pork and apple meatballs in creamy cider sauce, a still from its video, with the channel name and the recipe title in text across it

By Tom · Updated

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  • Serves 4
  • About 50 min
  • One to take your time over

Pork and apple meatballs might not be the combination you expect, but they make for one seriously comforting dinner. Tender pork meatballs served with spaghetti, a creamy cider sauce, fresh herbs and a little apple for sweetness.

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The recipe

Pork and apple meatballs in creamy cider sauce

Pork and apple meatballs might not be the combination you expect, but they make for one seriously comforting dinner.

  • Serves 4
  • 30 min prep
  • 18 min cooking
  • One to take your time over

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale
4 servings
Measurements

Ingredients

Pork & apple meatballs

Cider & tarragon crème fraîche sauce

Pasta

To serve

Tick things off as you go — they stay ticked if you close the page.

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

  1. Step 1

    Place the pork mince (400 g), grated apple (1 apple), tarragon (1 tbsp), garlic (2 cloves), mustard (1 tbsp), breadcrumbs (80 g), egg (1), salt and black pepper into a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands until evenly combined, taking care not to overwork the mixture.

  2. Step 2

    Divide the mixture into approximately 14 equal portions and roll into meatballs.

  3. Step 3

    Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil.

  4. Step 4

    Meanwhile, heat the olive oil (1 tbsp) in a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning regularly, until golden brown all over. They don't need to be cooked through at this stage.

  5. Step 5

    Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.

  6. Step 6

    Add the spaghetti (300 g) to the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions until aldente. Reserve around 150ml of the pasta (150 ml) water before draining.

  7. Step 7

    While the pasta (150 ml) cooks, reduce the heat under the frying pan to medium. Add the shallots (2) and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

  8. Step 8

    Add the garlic (2 cloves) and cook for another 30 seconds.

  9. Step 9

    Pour in the cider (250 ml) and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the caramelised bits. Bring to a simmer and reduce by roughly half.

  10. Step 10

    Add the chicken stock (150 ml) and mustard (1 tbsp), then return the meatballs to the pan. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally, until cooked through and the sauce has reduced slightly.

  11. Step 11

    Reduce the heat and stir through the crème fraîche (150 g) and fresh tarragon (1 tbsp). Don't allow the sauce to boil once the crème fraîche has been added.

  12. Step 12

    Add the lemon juice (1 tsp) and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  13. Step 13

    Add the drained spaghetti (300 g) to the pan along with a splash of the reserved pasta water (150 ml). Toss everything together until the sauce becomes silky and coats the spaghetti. Add more pasta water if needed.

  14. Step 14

    Remove from the heat and fold through the fresh rocket (2 rocket), allowing it to wilt slightly while retaining some of its peppery bite.

  15. Step 15

    Divide between bowls and top with the meatballs.

  16. Step 16

    Finish with fresh tarragon (1 tbsp), a little lemon zest and plenty of freshly ground black pepper (½ tsp).

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Questions people ask

How long does pork and apple meatballs in creamy cider sauce take?

About 50 min from start to finish, of which 30 min is prep and 18 min is cooking. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 4. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.