Sweet and Sour Meat Balls

Did you know that from the 2 November to the 8th of November it is British Sausage week? It is, and just in time for Bon Fire Night as well! (More about that later in the week!)

Only in the UK would they have a week designated to honour that most delicious of foodstuffs . . . the sausage.



We here in the UK love our sausages, and for very good reason. I think they are some of the best in the world. There are so many different flavours, and each region seems to have their own speciality, as does each butcher. I, myself, am quite partial to Cumberland sausages. They're lovely and spicy. Most delicious on a barbeque.

I have also rather recently become rather fond of Porkinson's Suffolk Ale and Herb sausages.



Why do I like British bangers so much??? Well, they are rather meaty for one thing. Not small by any stretch, they are fat and lovely. You can get smaller chipolatas of course, and you can get cheap and nasty versions, but if you are willing to spend a a bit more money and plump for quality, you just can't beat a good British Sausage.



Did you know that sausages are even old than ancient Greece or Rome??? The ancient Sumarians made sausages some 5,000 years ago. It is believed that sausages were first brought to the UK from Rome some time before 400AD. Since then they have been adopted by various various English counties, each one having developed their own unique ways of flavouring them. It wasn't until the reign of Charles I that sausages began to be divided into links and at one time they used to stick them up chimney's to be mildly cured! (The mind boggles!)

At any rate there is something rather moreish about a well cooked British Banger, with it's sticky brown outsides and tastily succulent innards.



There's also something pretty moreish about these tasty sweet and sour meatballs made with sausage meat. Sure you could use something else, but why bother . . .

These are incredible.



*Sweet and Sour Meatballs*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

You can use pork spare ribs to make this or pork tenderloin, in which case you will need to simmer them for an hour or so, until tender, before adding the cornflour paste. I, myself, love them made with sausage meat.

398g package of good quality pork sausages
2 ounces vegetable fat
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
1 large green pepper, halved, deseeded and sliced thinly
1 350g tin of pineapple pieces
4 TBS white vinegar
3 ounces soft light brown sugar
2 TBS soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
2 TBS cornflour



Remove the casings from the pork sausages. Cut each one into fourths and roll each piece in your hands to make a round ball. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and once it is hot add the sausage balls. Brown them well on all sides. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Add the onion, garlic and green pepper to the drippings and cook, gently until softened. Drain off as much fat as possible and add the sausages back to the pan.

Drain the juices from the pineapple into a measuring cup and add enough water to equal 1 pint. Add to the meatballs and vegetables, along with the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Bring the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Blend the cornflour with a bit of water to make a paste and stir this mixture into the pan, stirring constantly and cooking until the sauce has thickened and is clear. Serve with plain boiled rice or egg fried rice. Delicious!!