This is one of the family recipes my new-found second cousin, Bill Schmaltz, shared with me from his collection. Meatballs are often made with pork instead of beef, or with a combination of the two. We call them boulettes if they are fried and served without a gravy, and meatball stew if they are simmered in gravy (sometimes, but not always, fried first).
Yield: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup dried unseasoned bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup peanut oil
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped green bell pepper
- 1 1/2 cups water
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat and brown the meatballs for 5 minutes, turning to cook evenly, reducing the heat to medium-high if necessary. Do this in two batches, removing the meatballs to a plate as they are browned.
Make a roux by pouring the oil from the pot into a measuring cup and returning about 1/3 cup of the oil to the pot. Add the flour, reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir constantly for 10 minutes.
Raise heat to medium and add the onion, celery, and bell pepper to the roux. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the water, raise heat to high, and bring to a rolling boil, stirring to make a smooth sauce.
Return the meatballs to the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 1 hour. Serve over rice, noodles, or as meatball sandwiches by placing in a French roll.
Bonus Tip: These can be made a bit smaller and used as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvres for a party or picnic. They can be made and frozen raw, then defrosted and cooked when needed. You can brown them in the oil just until they are cooked through, then serve them with a dipping sauce instead of making the sauce in the above recipe.