PORK MEATBALLS AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Pork Meatballs and Cucumber Salad image

If you find yourself with an abundance of cucumbers (or simply a craving for them), this salad taps into their cooling crunch without making a watery mess. The trick is to salt, drain, and squeeze out any excess liquid before dressing them-and to turn them into a full meal by adding simple oven-baked meatballs studded with briny green olives and sweet golden raisins.

Provided by Kendra Vaculin

Categories Pork Cucumber Raisin Olive Oil Pine Nut Olive Egg Garlic Parsley Onion Herb Vinegar Yogurt

Yield 4 Servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

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Ingredients

¼ cup golden raisins
2 lb. thin-skinned cucumbers (such as Persian, English hothouse, and/or kirby) cut into bite-size pieces
2½ tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
¾ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted, divided
1 large egg
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. ground pork
½ small red onion, very thinly sliced (use a mandoline if you have one)
2 cups tender herb leaves (such as mint and/or parsley)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (for serving)

Steps:

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°F. Place raisins in a small bowl and pour in hot water to cover; let sit until ready to use.
Place cucumbers in a colander or sieve set in or over a large bowl; sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and toss to combine. Let sit while you make the meatballs. (It will seem like a lot of cucumbers at first, but they will shrink down as they drain.)
Meanwhile, drizzle 2 Tbsp. oil over a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange pine nuts in an even layer on another rimmed baking sheet (use a quarter-sheet if you have one!).
Finely chop ¼ cup olives. Transfer to a large bowl and add egg, garlic, panko, parsley, 1½ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes; season with black pepper. Drain raisins and add half to bowl; mix well to combine. Add pork and gently mix with your hands to incorporate. Working one at a time, scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of pork mixture and form into balls (think about the size of a golf ball; you should get about 20). Arrange on oiled baking sheet, spacing 1" apart. Turn to coat.
Bake meatballs, rotating baking sheet front to back halfway through, until browned on bottom and cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Toast pine nuts on bottom rack until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Coarsely chop remaining ½ cup olives. Gather cucumbers into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out any excess liquid into bowl (don't worry if they get a little smashed); discard liquid. Wipe out bowl and combine cucumbers, olives, pine nuts, onion, herbs, and remaining raisins in bowl; toss to combine. Drizzle in vinegar and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, season with salt and black pepper, and toss again to coat.
Swoosh a generous scoop of yogurt over each plate, then top with salad and meatballs. Season with more black pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.