- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 large eggs
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 4 teaspoons finely chopped sage, plus whole leaves for garnish (optional)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 (14-ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil.
- Using your hands, mix pork, turkey, eggs, garlic, breadcrumbs, milk, fennel, 4 tsp. chopped sage, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a large bowl until incorporated. Roll into 1″ balls, making sure to pack firmly.
- Transfer balls to prepared baking sheet, packing them snuggly. Roast meatballs until firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook cranberry sauce, orange juice, brown sugar, ginger, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Using a pastry brush, generously coat meatballs with 1/3 cup cranberry sauce mixture. Return meatballs to oven and continue to bake until glaze is shiny and caramelized, about 5 minutes more.
- Shake sheet to coat meatballs with sauce. Transfer remaining sauce to a serving bowl and transfer meatballs to a serving platter. Top meatballs with sage leaves before serving, if using.