Passing cravings come and go and I don’t know if it’s from iron deficiency or what, but one of my recent cravings has been for meatballs. Little meatballs are like all the savory goodness of meatloaf wrapped in a bite-sized morsel; where each rugged crag offers a holding spot for sauce to hide.
I will eat them on spaghetti, or off the end of a frilly toothpick dipped in sauce. No matter the occasion, I will not turn down a good meatball. These pork meatballs I particularly like tucked inside a bun, but they are also good snacking, hunched over the stove, late at night.

Pork Meatballs with Saffron-Tomato Sauce Recipe
Tender pork meatballs small enough to fit inside a fluffy bun for an unbelievable sandwich topped with a saffron-tomato sauce. Dairy Free!
Adapted from Traci Des Jardins, Public House, San Francisco
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/4 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until starting to brown then add wine, tomatoes, and saffron. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and keep warm.
- While sauce is simmering, combine pork, beef, parsley, mint, thyme, lemon zest, chile powder, cayenne and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Shape into golf-ball-sized meatballs and place on baking sheet. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 18 minutes.
- Place 4 to 5 meatballs inside each roll, top with sauce and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 641Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 348mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 42g
This was perfect, detailed beautifully & I love the water trick I honestly never knew that ! Thank you so very much for sharing this. God bless.