Recipe - Belgian Meatballs Braised In Beer

MEATBALLS
1 cup Fresh white bread crumbs
One fourth cup Milk; or more
1 pound Ground beef, lean
One half pound Ground pork or veal
1 lg Egg
1 tablespoon Shallots; minced
1 tablespoon Parsley, fresh; fine minced
;salt & pepper to taste
1 pn Nutmeg; grated
2 tablespoon Flour
2 tablespoon Unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil

SAUCE
1 md Onion; thinly cut or sliced up
3 Belgian endive; cored/cut in
1/4inch rounds
1 teaspoon Sugar
;salt & pepper to taste
1 One half tablespoon Flour; up to 2 tb
1 cup Blond Pilsnerstyle beer
One half cup Beef broth; or chicken
2 tablespoon Parsley, fresh; garnish

1. To prepare meatballs, soak bread crumbs in milk until thoroughly
moistened; squeeze dry with hands. Combine bread crumbs, ground meats,
eggs, shallots, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg in medium bowl. Form
mixture into 6 to 8 balls or patties (2 inches in diameter and 1/2inch
thick); dust with 2 tablespoons flour.

2. Heat butter and oil in deep, heavy Dutch oven, until hot but not
smoking, over high heat. Add meatballs; cook until browned on all sides,
about 5 minutes, making sure butter does not burn. Remove meat balls to
platter; keep warm.

3. To prepare sauce, discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat in pan. Add oion
and endives. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes.
Add sugar, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons flour to vegetables; cook,
stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add beer and broth; heat to quick
boil, scrapig up all brown bits from bottom of pan.

4. Reduce heat to simmer; return meatballs to pan, placing them on top of
vegetables. Simmer, partly covered, until meat is cooked through, 45
minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Source: "Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook" by Ruth Van Warebeck;
printed in the Chicago Tribune, October 2, 1996
Posted to MMRecipes Digest V3 #315

Date: Sun, 17 Nov 1996 16:13:16 +0000

From: Linda Place placel@worldnet.att.net