These Country Pork Meatballs are flavoured with the classic combination of onion, sage and thyme, and they taste like the country sausages at my local butcher. Smothered with a rich onion gravy, it’s just cosy, downright tasty, homemade comfort food!
In the interest of full disclosure, there’s nothing officially “country” about these meatballs. I’ve just christened them as such because I think the combination of flavours has a wholesome, country-style comfort food vibe. 😊 The meatballs are flavoured with sage and thyme (don’t skip the sage!) and actually, they do remind me of the country pork sausages from my local butcher.
The onion gravy is made using the drippings from browning the meatballs, with a lovely hint of garlic. To me, it tastes like the sort of hearty, homestyle meal you’d expect at a country pub or farmhouse table.
So, let me have the name! Serve it over mash with a side of peas and tell everyone dinner tonight is Country pork meatballs with a rich onion gravy, farmhouse mash and garden peas. 😇
Ingredients in Country Pork Meatballs
Here’s what you need to make these cosy meatballs.
For the Meatballs
Just in case you missed it above — don’t skip the sage! You can skip the thyme, you can even skip the onion or paprika. But not the sage — it adds a warm, earthy flavour that’s the signature taste of these meatballs and gives it the unmistakable country pork sausage flavour.
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Pork makes such soft meatballs, softer than beef and juicier than chicken. Use regular pork mince — not lean, not extra fatty, though either will work. The meatballs will also work great with beef, chicken or turkey, though the flavour of the meat is different. Note that chicken and turkey are much leaner, so the meatballs will not be quite as succulent inside.
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Panko breadcrumbs — Breadcrumbs make meatballs softer and lighter than using just meat alone. Panko is preferred because the larger flakes create a softer, more tender texture inside the meatballs, but regular breadcrumbs work too if that’s all you’ve got.
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Country spices — Sage is the secret ingredient here that makes these pork meatballs taste like country sausages. You can find ground sage at regular grocery stores. Paprika adds a little warm colour (regular/sweet works, though smoked is also fine), onion powder adds savoury flavour, and thyme brings a lovely earthy, herby note.
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Garlic — For flavour!
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Green onion — This brings a little freshness into the meatballs as well as some little green flecks.
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Egg — This is what binds the meatballs and keeps them together.
For the Onion Gravy
And here’s what you need for the onion gravy.
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Butter — Used to cook the onions and adds richness and flavour to the gravy. It also combines with the flour to form the thickening base that gives the gravy its lovely silky texture.
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Beef stock/broth — You need stock rather than water to get sufficient body in gravy. Low sodium is preferred so you can control the amount of salt.
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Flour — This is what thickens the gravy.
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Onion and garlic — These add more flavour to the gravy, which is particularly helpful with quick-cook gravies made with store-bought stock.
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Worcestershire sauce — A little splash of this adds extra flavour into the sauce. If you happen to be using a homemade beef stock, you can skip this.
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Dark soy or gravy browner (optional) — Dark soy sauce is a useful trick for deepening the colour of gravies that turn out a little paler than you’d like. In the UK you can buy gravy browner, a product made specifically for this job, but it’s not nearly as common in Australia. Dark soy does the trick beautifully. It won’t make the gravy taste Asian — you can’t taste it at all. It’s only there to give the gravy a richer, deeper brown colour.
How to Make Country Pork Meatballs with Gravy
Rolling meatballs is nobody’s favourite task, but the result is absolutely worth it — and once dinner is on the table, the effort is quickly forgotten.
Mix all the meatball ingredients together, roll into balls, then brown them in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once browned, set them aside while you make the gravy in the same pan, using the flavourful drippings left behind. Cook down the onions in butter, stir in the garlic and flour, then gradually add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, and a splash of dark soy if you want a deeper colour. Return the meatballs to the pan, simmer until cooked through, and serve over mashed potato with a side of peas for a complete, satisfying meal.
