Prep time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 5 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high, plus 15 to 20 minutes to thicken the sauce
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 900 g ground pork
- 1 egg
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) plain breadcrumbs
- 60 ml (¼ cup) milk
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- 1 ml (¼ teaspoon) ground cloves
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) oil
- 400 g carrots, cut into 2-cm pieces
- 750 ml (3 cups) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) cornstarch
- 45 ml (3 tablespoons) cold water
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb the liquid. Add the ground pork, egg, grated small onion, cinnamon, and cloves. Season with salt and pepper, and mix gently until the mixture is uniform. Shape the mixture into about 24 meatballs of equal size.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, cooking in batches. Immediately transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, sauté the coarsely chopped onion and garlic for about 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits.
- Pour the broth mixture over the meatballs in the slow cooker. Add the carrots, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the carrots are tender and the meatballs reach an internal temperature of at least 71°C (160°F).
- Remove the bay leaf. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with cold water. Pour into the slow cooker and stir gently to distribute the mixture evenly throughout the sauce.
- Cover and continue cooking on high for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Adjust the seasoning as needed and serve hot.
