Beer-braised Meatballs – Comfort food at its best!
Posted on July 25, 2014 by nerinatimm in beef
Beer-braised meatballs are like meatballs on steroids. Yip, the same old, same old, just better….. way better!
Beer-braised lambshanks, the recipe most asked for from my new book, Easy Cooking from Nina’s Kitchen! Of all the recipes that magazines asked for to feature, this one was definitely their favorite. I had so much feedback from this recipe, quite frankly, I think the photo in the book is gorgeous, but once people taste the aromas of the beer-braised lambshanks with orange and other warm flavors, they are hooked!
The beer lends an earthy richness to the meatballs, without leaving a overwhelming beer taste in your mouth. Meatballs are near and dear to my heart, to such an extend that I called off a National meatball challenge in search of the perfect meatballs. The winning meatballs, were so simple and down to earth and it proved that Griet ( our darling domestic lady from my childhood years), was spot-on by braising her meatballs. Oh, those meatballs were the best, soft and creamy, not hard and clinched like an angry fist that you get from baking meatballs in the oven! The simple flavors of salt, pepper and coriander lingering in your mouth until you can resist a second helping no longer.
By no means do you have to use beer, you can used just water, or even beef or chicken stock, but the secret to a good meatball is BRAISING, it takes a while longer, but so does the memory of that second helping of meatballs! That is my humble opinion anyway!
In the past, I always added bread crumbs to my mince, but with banting, I had to make another plan, so read the recipe with care
Beer-braised meatballs
serves 4 – yes, with second helpings
Ingredients
1 kg lean beef mince – or go half pork, half beef
10 ml salt
10 ml pepper
10 ml fine coriander
1 large onion – peeled and grated
+ 2 large onions – sliced
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes – grated
zest and juice of 1 lemon
45 ml coconut flour
30 ml olive oil or coconut oil
500 ml beer
100 ml chopped parsley – totally optional
Method
Place the mince in a bowl and add the spices, grated onion, grated tomato, parsley if using, juice and zest of the lemon as well as the coconut flour and mix. Shape into meatballs. Heat the oil and saute the sliced onion until it starts to get some color. Place the meatballs onion and brown slightly. Turn the meatballs once and then add the beer. Place the lid on and braise the meatballs for about 35 – 45 minutes. If the beer evaporates, fill up with stock or water. Serve on butternut mash, cauli-mash or just plain old potato mash with a big lump of butter – and of course a grating of nutmeg!
6 Responses to “Beer-braised Meatballs – Comfort food at its best!”
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September 30, 2014
[…] drinker, but lately I have experimented a little with beer. So far I’ve made the most amazing beer-braised meatballs, Smokey Onion and Olive Beer bread and who on earth can resist Beer-battered Fish or Beer-battered […]
Wat is Coconut – flour ? ek het dit al voorheen in ‘n resep gesien en nog nooit kon ek Coconut-flour in winkels kry nie . Help asseblief !
Kan nie wag om elke week jou resep ter sien nie. As ek kans kry luister ek na jou op RSG, jou stem klink soos jou lekker disse, lekker en braised
Wow my mouth is watering so can’t wait to try out this recipe.
Kan die klappermeel, wat nogal duur is, met iets anders vervang word en sal dit die smaak baie verander?
Beth, ja, jy kan broodkrummels gebruik of sommer 2-3 snye brood onder die waterkraan hou, druk dan al die water uit en meng brood met vleis! Hamwermout – ongeveer 125 ml werk ook goed!