Photo: Miso Chicken Meatballs (left) and Pork Schnitzel Meatballs (right)
2 Tbsp Panko breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp milk
1 lb ground pork
1/2 tsp (heaping) fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp lemon zest (or all the zest from 1 lemon)
½ tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Heat oven to 425 degrees, line baking pan with a silicone mat.
In a large bowl, add the panko and milk, and allow to sit for a minute to hydrate the panko. Then add the thyme, lemon zest, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix well.
Add the pork and gently mix with hands until just incorporated throughout. Use a small disher (ice cream scoop) to get golf-ball sized meatballs. Place the scoops on the silicone mat until finished – it will all fit on one pan. Roll the meat gently to form balls.
Bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve warm, with a squeeze of lemon. If you wanted to get fancy, you could even top them with toasted panko for a little crunch.
This was adapted from SeriousEats.com; that recipe called for breading and frying the meatballs for a more authentic schnitzel experience. I opted to skip that based on my target audience, but I can’t think of any way that it wouldn’t be delicious. So have at it, if you’d like.