Slow Cooker Pork and Apple Meatballs with Sage Tomato Sauce

Servings

Cooking time may not change in direct proportion to servings.

Recommended slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

• 3.5 litre slow cooker
• Large frying pan
• Large mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Clean tea towel

• 500 g British pork mince
• 1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and coarsely grated
• 1 small onion, finely grated or very finely chopped
• 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, for browning
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional, to balance the tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, to serve

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Put the grated apple and grated or finely chopped small onion in a clean tea towel and squeeze out excess moisture. Add them to a bowl with the pork mince, breadcrumbs, egg, sage, oregano, salt and black pepper. Mix gently until combined, then shape into about 20 meatballs.