Welsh Porc Faggot Recipe with Sage & Onion Gravy

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To celebrate Porc from Wales Week (24th-30th January 2022), I’m teaming up with Porc Blasus (‘Delicious Pork’) to share my Welsh porc faggot recipe – classic British meatballs packed with belly porc, porc liver, breadcrumbs, herbs and spices, in a rich sage and onion gravy.

When I was a child, no outing to town (a.k.a Cardiff city centre) was complete without a trip to The Bull Terrier Cafe on the second floor of Cardiff Market with my Dad. We never had to ponder over what to order; faggots were always a given.

Sitting on the tables opposite the cafe, we’d watch the traders and shoppers bustling around in the market stalls facing us, admiring the elegant Victorian architecture and nibbling on rich, hearty lamb faggots in between mouthfuls of creamy mash, marrowfat peas and gravy so thick, we could almost stand our forks up in it.

You can still order faggots from The Bull Terrier Cafe to this day, although they’re now served with crispy, golden chips in place of mash. At just £4, they’re still just as cheap and cheerful as ever, and they still taste just as good as they did all those years ago.

We’d often eat Mr. Brain’s Pork Faggots (more on those below) together as a family at home and, sometimes, as an occasional treat, my mum would make her own faggots from scratch, using fresh lamb’s liver and minced lamb or pork.

After working with Porc Blasus on a Caribbean-inspired recipe using Welsh porc last year, I’m thrilled to be working with them again this year on a traditional Welsh porc faggot recipe. I’ve based my recipe on my mother’s version, substituting the lamb for Welsh porc.

Faggots: the classic British meatball

Traditional faggots have grown to become the British meatball of choice over the years.

Dating back to 1851, faggots were a popular meal among working class farmers and miners. Synonymous with the Black Country, they’re believed to have originated in Wiltshire and the West Midlands. Their popularity grew throughout the Second World War, when meat was rationed and lesser used cuts, like offal, became the norm.

The original meaning of the term translates to a bundle of sticks tied together with string, which relates to how the meat and offal is ‘bundled’ together to form a meatball, traditionally wrapped in caul fat.

Traditional faggot recipes use the minced off-cuts and offal (originally liver, lung, heart and /or spleen) of pork and, less commonly, lamb. Today, however, it’s more common for liver to be used.

Some recipes call for the pork and offal to be minced, while others involve pulsing the meat and offal in a food processor until finely diced. My faggot recipe uses minced pork and finely chopped pig’s liver; feel free to either slice up the liver by hand, or use a food processor to make things a little easier.

The meat and offal mixture is combined with a mixture of herbs (commonly sage and parsley, although I also use thyme) and spices (usually nutmeg or mace), onion and breadcrumbs, and formed into large meatballs.

Traditionally, the meatballs would be wrapped in caul fat (the thin, lacy membrane surrounding the animal’s internal organs) and baked in the oven in a rich onion gravy. If you’re unable to source this, however, you can wrap your faggots in streaky bacon rashers instead, as I’ve done here.

Faggot recipes vary depending on where in the UK you are, with many different regions putting their own unique spin on this classic British meatball. In Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire, for example, they’re known as “savoury ducks”.

Mr. Brain’s Pork Faggots and West Country sauce

In Britain, faggots have become synonymous with Mr. Brain’s traditional Pork Faggots in West Country sauce. Sold frozen in a tray designed to be placed straight into the oven, these faggots became a suppertime staple in British households after Herbert Hill Brain, a traditional Bristol-based butcher, first began making them in the mid-1930s.

While Kerry Foods Ltd. has now taken over the production of Mr. Brain’s Faggots and West Country sauce, the recipe has remained largely unchanged over the years. Made using tomato puree, yeast extract, lard, wheat flour, corn flour, salt, sugar, onion flavouring and a combination of herbs and spices, there’s no denying the appeal of this moreish savoury sauce.

As tasty as Mr Brain’s Pork Faggots and West Country sauce may be, however, nothing quite compares to the taste of your own homemade faggots, served with a rich onion gravy to pour over them.

International variations on the traditional British faggot recipe

While faggots are a classic British dish, several international variations exist.

In France, for example, the ‘crépinette’ is a small, flattened sausage made from minced pork, turkey, veal, lamb, chicken or duck (no offal is used) or even truffles, wrapped in caul fat.

Similarly, there is a popular Tuscan dish known as ‘fegatelli’, whereby spiced pork liver is wrapped in caul fat and grilled, roasted or fried.

Meanwhile, in Poland, liver ‘pulpety’ are small meatballs made using pork or chicken liver and breadcrumbs, which are simmered in stock and often served as an accompaniment to soup.

After publishing this blog post, I was also informed by fellow blogger, Jeanne of Cooksister that South Africa has its own take on the rich, offal meatballs that we call faggots here in the UK. Known as skilpadjies (“little tortoises”), the South African take on faggots comprises of lamb’s liver and/or meat mixed with other ingredients, herbs and spices, wrapped in caul fat and grilled on the barbecue (or “brai”) until crispy.

Whoever knew there were so many international variations on the classic British faggot?! I certainly had no idea.

Welsh porc faggots: the ultimate Welsh meatball

My faggot recipe uses minced Welsh belly or shoulder porc, and fresh pig’s liver. The meat and offal is combined with stuffing, herbs and spices to form big, hearty meatballs, wrapped in streaky bacon rashers and served with rich sage and onion gravy and crispy sage leaves.

Not only do these porc faggots taste absolutely wonderful, but they’re incredibly quick and easy to prepare, and they make the most of pig’s liver – a lesser used, yet delicious, nutrititious and low-cost part of the animal.

What’s so special about Welsh porc?

Wales is renown for the quality of its Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef, but locally produced pork (or ‘porc’ as its known in the Welsh language) doesn’t quite get the recognition it deserves.

Welsh pigs are traditionally reared in small herds on specialist Welsh farms, many of which have been passed down through families over hundreds of years. As such, buying Welsh porc means you’ll be supporting Wales’ specialist farmers and artisan butchers.

Is Welsh porc good for me?

Furthermore, red meats like Welsh porc have a range of nutritional benefits, with scientists recommending that we eat around 500g of cooked red meat (around five portions) every week. Not only is porc naturally rich in protein, amino acids and vitamins B3, B6 and B12, but it can be a lot leaner than you may think too. If you’re trying to reduce your fat intake, opt for leaner cuts like boneless porc loin steak, which can contain as little as 4% fat.

Where the offal is concerned, pig’s liver is thought to be one of the most nutritionally dense foods there is, packed with vitamin A in its active form of retinol (which muscle meat isn’t such a great source of), along with vitamins A and B. However, pregnant women should avoid eating liver as an excess of vitamin A has been linked to birth defects, especially in the third trimester.

Where can I buy Welsh porc?

Order your Welsh porc from an approved producer or retailer – you can find a comprehensive list and map of Welsh porc producers and retailers on the Porc Blasus (‘Delicious Pork’) website.

What to serve with your porc faggots

Rich sage and onion gravy

When it comes to making your onion gravy, there are several different methods you could use, but the one I’ve gone for involves frying sliced onions until softened and slightly caramelised, before adding beef stock, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, followed by a slurry of flour and water to thicken the gravy.

I’ve infused my gravy with fresh sage to accentuate the flavour of the faggots, which are packed with sage and onion stuffing. Before frying off my onions, I fry sage leaves in olive oil until crispy, before carefully removing them from the pan and setting them aside to use as a garnish later on.

Once I’ve made my onion gravy (find the full recipe below), I pour it into the dish along with the porc faggots before they go into the oven.

Mashed potato

Creamy mashed potato is a must for faggots. Simply peel some potatoes and boil them for around 20-25 minutes, until softened. Mash them up, adding a little salt and pepper to taste.

For a smoother, creamier mash, add a splash of milk and/or butter or cream.

Mushy or garden peas

Traditionally, faggots are usually served with mushy marrowfat peas or, if you’re in the Black Country, grey peas or ‘pays’.

At home, my mum tended to serve faggots with garden peas, which is what I’ve gone with here as a matter of personal preference.

Can I freeze leftover porc faggots?

If you happen to have any leftover porc faggots, allow them to cool completely, then freeze them in foil freezer trayers or airtight containers, for up to three months.

To heat up your leftover faggots, cook them from frozen at 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.

How to make porc faggots with sage and onion gravy: the ultimate faggot recipe

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Welsh Porc Faggots With Sage & Onion Gravy

Classic British Faggot recipes date back over many years, with different UK regions putting their own unique twist on this comforting British meatball dish, traditionally made using minced off-cuts and offal (usually liver and/or heart, although kidney is also sometimes used).

This Welsh porc faggot recipe sees minced belly porc and fresh pig’s liver combined with stuffing mix, herbs and spices to form big, hearty meatballs, wrapped in streaky bacon rashers and served with rich sage and onion gravy.

Not only do these porc faggots taste absolutely wonderful, but they’re incredibly quick and easy to prepare, and they make the most of pig’s offal – a lesser used, yet delicious part of the animal.

Serve your porc faggots with creamy mashed potato, mushy, marrowfat or garden peas and a rich onion gravy for a traditional touch.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Mains

Cuisine British, Welsh

Keyword easy, faggots, gravy, onion, Pork, sausage roll, welsh pork, winter

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8 large faggots

Calories 200kcal

Author Kacie Morgan

Cost $3

Equipment

• Hand mincer optional
• Non-stick frying pan
• Oven dish or roasting tray

Ingredients

For the faggots

• 170 g sage and onion stuffing mix
• 250 g Welsh pig's liver
• 550 g minced Welsh porc belly or shoulder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp freshly ground mace or ¼ tsp nutmeg see notes
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 16 unsmoked streaky bacon rashers
• ½ tsp sunflower oil for oiling

For the sage and onion gravy

• ½ tbsp sunflower oil or 25g unsalted butter
• 2 sprigs fresh sage leaves removed and set aside
• 1 large yellow onion peeled and finely sliced
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• 450 ml beef stock
• ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tbsp plain flour

Instructions

For the faggots

• Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas mark 4. Prepare the sage and onion stuffing mix according to the packet instructions, and set aside.
  
• Finely chop the pig's liver and combine with the minced porc.
  
• Add the stuffing, salt and pepper, ground mace or nutmeg, and thyme, using your hands to ensure the ingredients are well-mixed.
  
• Form the mixture into eight large, round meatballs or faggots, around the size of a tennis ball.
  
• Wrap each faggot in two unsmoked, streaky bacon rashers. Lightly oil an oven dish or roasting tray, and place the meatballs inside.
  

For the sage and onion gravy

• Heat the oil or butter in a non-stick frying pan and fry the sage leaves for 3-4 minutes, until crispy, before carefully removing from the pan with a slotted spoon and setting aside.
  
• Fry the sliced onions over a low to medium heat for around 10 minutes, until golden and softened.
  
• Add the sugar and continue cooking for a further 4-5 minutes, until caramelised.
  
• Add the beef stock to the pan, followed by the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Then, mix the flour with a tablespoon of cold water to form a smooth paste. Add to the pan, stirring through and allowing to bubble away until slightly thickened.
  
• Remove the pan from the heat and pour the onion gravy into the dish, covering the faggots. Cook in the oven for an hour and a half, or until cooked through.
  
• Once cooked, serve the faggots with creamy mashed potato and mushy peas or garden peas, in a pool of rich sage and onion gravy, garnished with crispy sage leaves.
  

Notes

• When it comes to chopping up the pig’s liver, the easiest way to do this is to pulse it in a food processor for a few seconds. Alternatively, if you have a hand mincer, you could mince it instead. However, if you have neither, finely chopping by hand will do the job (albeit a little messy).
• You can either use sage and onion stuffing mix to make your pork faggots or, alternatively, use a mixture of fresh breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion and chopped fresh sage.
• Traditionally, pork faggots are wrapped in caul fat (the white membrane that surrounds the organs of some animals). You may need to enquire at your local butcher about ordering this in advance. I’ve used unsmoked streaky bacon rashers instead, but you can leave the bacon (and caul fat) off altogether if you prefer. 
• You can buy mace ready-ground or, alternatively, use a pestle and mortar to grind up the web-like burnt orange mace coating that surrounds a whole nutmeg seed. 
• If you can’t source mace, nutmeg is an excellent substitution, although the flavour is somewhat more pronounced than that of mace, so use a little less.
• Once cooled, you can freeze any leftover cooked faggots in foil freezer trays or foil-covered airtight containers, for up to three months. To heat them up, cook from frozen at 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. 

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal

More delicious Welsh Porc recipes

Looking for more inspiration on what to cook with Welsh Porc?

A traditional Welsh ham cawl has to be one of my favourite comfort food dishes. While cawl is usually made with lamb or beef nowadays, gammon, ham or bacon were more commonplace back in the day, making for a more affordable option. Usually, the cawl is served with fresh bread and Caerphilly cheese.

Or, for something a little less ordinary, check out the recipe I created for Porc Blasus (Welsh Porc). My Caribbean-inspired Welsh Porc medallions in coconut rum sauce with crispy lotus root, sweet potato mash and fresh spinach have proven to be a real hit with my readers.

I have linked this recipe to #CookBlogShare run by Sisley & Chloe, which was hosted by Janice at Farmer’s Girl Kitchen.

Don’t forget to check out the Porc Blasus website for more wonderful Welsh porc recipes to whet your appetite! If you have a favourite pork recipe, why not share it below to inspire other readers?

Not a pork fan? Here are some other Welsh recipes you might like:

• Welsh rarebit
• Welsh onion cake
• Welsh crempogau (pancakes)
• Welsh lavercakes (laver seaweed)
• Welsh cakes
• Welsh bara brith
• Welsh Lamb cawl
  

Don’t forget to PIN this post so you’ll be able to find this recipe when you’re ready to cook your porc faggots!

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