Welsh Meatballs
Welsh Meatballs
(Ffagodau)
These are very popular meatballs in Wales. They are made from
pork or beef liver, and pork butt, spices and onions.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. pork or beef liver, cut into
large pieces
1 lb. pork butt, cut into large pieces
1 lb. fresh pork fat ("fatback"), cut into large pieces
1 egg
2 cups bread crumbs
2 large yellow onions, peeled and minced
2 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground, black pepper
Preparation:
In a meat grinder or food processor, grind/chop the liver, pork butt and fat up really well. Mix all of the ingredients together well and mold into 1 ½" meat balls. Place the meat balls in a greased pan and add 1 cup of water. Bake for 40 minutes in a preheated-350°F oven. Serves up to 8, depending on how much you cut the recipe (see notes below).
Notes:
The recipe can be easily reduced by a half to a fourth, to suit your serving needs. Example: For four servings, use only one pound pork or beef liver, ½ lb. pork butt, ½ lb. fatback, half an egg, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 onion, 1 tsp. sage, ½ tsp. thyme, 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper.
I'm not too sure how this recipe could be made healthier without totally trashing its authenticity. But I would suggest that the amount of pork fat could be cut and a greater quantity of bread crumbs and the other meats could be used instead. I'm no Prince Glyndwr, though, and I'm certainly not brave enough to spend the money on the ingredients that would be required to do the amount of experimentation I suspect would be necessary to find out! As with all things, moderation is the key word when it comes to enjoying these Welsh favourites.
Prince Owain Glyndwr
1359 - 1416
Crowned as Owain IV of Wales, he was the last native Welsh person to hold the title Prince of Wales. Though he instigated an ultimately unsuccessful revolt against English rule of Wales, he has remained a notable figure in the popular culture of both Wales and England, portrayed in Shakespeare's play Henry IV as a wild and exotic man ruled by magic and emotion.