Weekend Cook: Pork "Meatball" Sliders

Boucher Farm Pork Slider

Not pulled pork this time, but ground pork.  I had formed meatballs, but the weather suddenly went from pleasantly cool to oppressively hot and muggy.  Too hot for spaghetti!

To one pound of ground pork I added: 4 heads baby garlic, minced; 1 small onion, minced; 4 oz mushrooms, minced (all this mincing can be done in a food processor).  Whiz the mushrooms last.

Add: 5 oz grated hard cheese (I used Connor Abbey), one egg, 2 TB tapioca starch, 2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt.  Mix together.  Fry up a test piece and adjust seasoning (it didn't need any).
Refrigerate for 1/2 an hour.  

Form into 12 - 15 meatballs using an ice cream scoop (they can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated until time to cook).  Remember, it's pork, so they will shrink.

Flatten slightly and pan-fry.  Use medium heat, sear one side - flip, and cook 2 minutes more.  Cover the pan, turn off the heat and leave for 12 minutes to finish cooking passively.  This is the same method I use for chicken burgers.

Boucher Farm Pork Slider (gluten-free)

Very porky and yummy.  Dan ate six of them, and then snuck two of the refrigerated ones for a snack.  These do not work on the grill, unless you use a non-stick pan or a well-seasoned griddle.  I tried to cook them directly over the flame.  What a mess!  Keeler the dog smelled them cooking, came over from the farm, and ate the bad ones from the driveway where I had tossed them for the birds to eat.

To serve, I painted them with MASTER SAUCE BBQ, (Massasauce)- a gift from Jason Frishman of Folk Foods (they vend next to us at farmer's market).  I thought it would be really spicy, so I added a plop of soy-free mayonnaise, but it was excellent without.  Don't add the mayo.  Ask Jason for his recipe.  I'm going to.