So savoury, so soothing. A bowl of these tender meatballs in gravy could solve almost anything. Feeds 4
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 350g beef mince
- 350g pork mince
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp allspice
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 500ml beef stock
- 100ml single cream
- Add all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl, mix until combined and homogenous. Shape into small walnut-sized meatballs.
- Add 1 tbsp butter to a big frying pan on a medium-high heat and fry the meatballs until browned all over but not necessarily cooked through. Fry in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Transfer the meatballs to the slow cooker and get as much of the juices in too
- Then to make the sauce (you can use the same pan if it’s fairly deep, or just use a saucepan – I love not having to wash more things up, so I’ll always re-use pans if possible) – melt 2 tbsp butter over a low heat and slowly mix in the flour.
- When fully incorporated, add the stock and mustard. Heat to a bubble whilst continuously stirring. Mix in the cream, taste for seasoning and then pour over the meatballs in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with mashed potato, rice or (for the full Ikea experience) chips!
To reduce the meat content in this dish, substitute 1 drained and pureed tin of green lentils for either the beef or pork.
And to make it gluten free, substitute the breadcrumbs for 3 heaped tbsp of uncooked basmati rice. Then cook the meatballs in the beef stock and cream without making a roux with the 2 tbsp butter and flour – instead, once it’s finished cooking, remove the meatballs and decant the sauce into a saucepan or deep frying pan. Heat the sauce to a bubble and whisk in a slurry of 2 heaped tbsp cornflour mixed with 2-3 tsp water. Cook gently until it thickens, then return the meatballs to the sauce and serve.
Sophie cooks 