Faggots (£1 Meal)
This dish is designed to be a cheap and easy meal to make. It's using some ingredients that I would normally use. It was inspired by a blog. The outcome is very good.
This dish is designed to be a cheap and easy meal to make. It's using some ingredients that I would normally use. It was inspired by a blog. The outcome is very good.
- 0.5 kgs pork/beef minced
- 0.5 kgs cooking bacon finely chopped
- 0.5 kgs lambs kidney chopped
- 0.5 kgs onions finely chopped
- 0.5 loaf wholemeal bread
- 0.5 bulb garlic
- 0.5 tablespoon black pepper
- 0.5 tablespoon salt
- 0.5 handful sage chopped
- 1 tablespoon paprika ground
- 0.5 kgs onions sliced
- 1 pack bouquet garni
- 0.5 pint mixed red and brown sauce
- 0.5 tub value gravy granules
- 2.5 pints boiling water
- Carbohydrate 6.76468733382123 g
- Cholesterol 0.026800000054373 mg
- Fat 0.126554000112372 g
- Fiber 1.3110800376618 g
- Protein 0.863515333481321 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0377615333515128 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (208g)
- Sodium 4.19525924788209 mg
- Sugar 5.45360729615943 g
- Trans Fat 0.0259102000119388 g
- Calories 29 calories
Step-by-step
- Make the half loaf into bread crumbs then using what ever means you (Mixer/chopper/Mincer or by hand) finely chop and mix the ingredients for the faggots without making it into a paste but fine enough to hold together and be formed into a ball. I roll into a ball larger than a golf ball but smaller than a tennis ball using my hands has a mould. I roll in flour to help them brown, stop sticking and give a crust.
- Smear your cooking vessels with a little fat or oil so the faggots don't stick. I have a large tagine so I'm using the base of that. A couple of roasting tins will do just fine.
- Put the faggots in at 180C for 90 minutes, then make the gravy.
- Saute' the onion in a little fat/oil until soft, brown to what ever stage you like and had a few herbs if you wish. Add the red sauce, brown sauce. around 10 heaped teaspoons of the gravy granules. Pep up with a little Worcestershire sauce or other condiment if you like. (Sliced mushrooms add flavour and bulk if you have any)
- After the 90 minutes turn the faggots, add the gravy and return for another 30 minutes. (I turned up to 220c because I wanted to put a loaf in.)
Swapping minced lamb's kidney for beef liver alters the iron profile and sharpens the metallic tang of the mixture, so adjust the black pepper and sage accordingly to balance the gaminess. Processing offal requires careful attention to texture. Grinding or chopping the ingredients too finely turns the mixture into a dense paste instead of a cohesive, tender meatball. Breadcrumbs act as the essential binder here, absorbing excess moisture from the minced pork, bacon, and onions during the initial bake.
- Process the wholemeal bread into fine crumbs first before combining it with the chopped meats to ensure an even distribution throughout the mixture.
- Roll each shaped ball lightly in all-purpose flour before baking at 180 degrees Celsius to promote a crisp exterior crust.
- Bake the faggots uncovered for 90 minutes in a greased roasting tin or tagine base to render the high fat content from the bacon and mince.
- Prepare the onion gravy base separately on the stovetop by sautéing the sliced onions until soft before incorporating the red and brown sauces and gravy granules.
- Pour the finished gravy over the faggots after their initial bake, then return the dish to the oven for a final 30 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius.
Serving these savory pork balls alongside creamy mashed potatoes and brassicas provides a necessary counterweight to the rich gravy. Proper sequencing ensures the interior stays tender while the exterior develops a deeply browned crust.
