Faggots (Welsh-Style Pork Meatballs) with Onion Gravy

Name: Faggots (Welsh-Style Pork Meatballs) with Onion Gravy
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 4-6
Ingredients: 4 tbsp. unsalted butter; 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp. flour; 2 cups beef stock; 1 ⁄ 3 cup madeira wine; 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 10 slices bacon, finely chopped; 1 tbsp. finely chopped sage; 1 1 ⁄ 2 tsp. finely chopped thyme; 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1 lb. ground pork; 4 oz. pig's liver, finely chopped; 1 1 ⁄ 2 cups bread crumbs; 1 ⁄ 2 cup milk; 1 ⁄ 4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; 1 ⁄ 2 cup dry white wine

Serves
serves 4-6

HELEN ROSNER

The Cwmcerrig Farm Shop in Wales serves these hearty liver-enriched pork meatballs doused in a buttery onion gravy. The name derives from the old northern British term for uncased sausage. This recipe first appeared in our Jan/Feb 2014 SAVEUR 100 issue with the article Cwmcerrig Farm Shop.

Ingredients

For the Gravy

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. flour
2 cups beef stock
¹⁄₃ cup madeira wine
¹⁄₂ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Meatballs

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 tbsp. finely chopped sage
1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. finely chopped thyme
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. ground pork
4 oz. pig's liver, finely chopped
1 ¹⁄₂ cups bread crumbs
¹⁄₂ cup milk
¹⁄₄ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¹⁄₂ cup dry white wine

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Instructions

Step 1

Make onion gravy: Melt butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-low heat; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 2 minutes. Add stock, madeira, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thick, about 5 minutes; set gravy aside and keep warm.

Step 2

Make the meatballs: Heat oven to 350°. Heat bacon in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat; cook until fat is rendered and bacon is slightly crisp, 4–6 minutes. Add sage, thyme, onion, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7–9 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool.

Step 3

Add pork, liver, bread crumbs, milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to bacon mixture; mix gently to combine. Form mixture into eight 4-oz. balls. Place in a 9" x 13" baking dish and add wine; bake, basting occasionally with pan juices, until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Serve with onion gravy.

Make onion gravy: Melt butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-low heat; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 2 minutes. Add stock, madeira, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thick, about 5 minutes; set gravy aside and keep warm.
Make the meatballs: Heat oven to 350°. Heat bacon in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat; cook until fat is rendered and bacon is slightly crisp, 4–6 minutes. Add sage, thyme, onion, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7–9 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool.
Add pork, liver, bread crumbs, milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to bacon mixture; mix gently to combine. Form mixture into eight 4-oz. balls. Place in a 9" x 13" baking dish and add wine; bake, basting occasionally with pan juices, until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Serve with onion gravy.