Belgian Beef Stew with Meatballs
A rich Belgian beef stew made with meatballs as a delicious alternative, caramelised onions, and dark ale for a hearty and flavourful dish.
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
- 500 G lean minced beef
- 2-3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped leaves
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
SAUCE
- 2 yellow onions
- 2 red onions
- 500 ml dark Belgian ale
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 500 ml beef stock
- 3 tbsp plain white flour
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2-3 prunes
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 3 tbsp parsley
- 3 bay leaves
- 2-3 tsp thyme
- 25 g unsalted butter
- sunflower oil for frying
- salt, black pepper to taste
Instructions
PREPARE THE MEATBALLS
- Mix all meatball ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Shape into meatballs and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.Heat oil in a pan and fry meatballs in batches for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel and cover.
THE SAUCE
- In a large pot, heat the oil used for frying the meatballs together with the butter. Add sliced onions and cook gently over low heat for 7-10 minutes until soft but not browned.
- Stir in sugar and continue cooking for 3 minutes to caramelise.
- Next, add finely chopped garlic and fry for 1 minute, then add flour and continue frying for 30 seconds. Pour in beef stock and vinegar. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the meatballs and then slowly pour in beer.
- Add all remaining ingredients except mustard and half of the parsley. Cook for 20 minutes until the sauce is thick.
- Stir in mustard and the remaining parsley in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- When done, cover and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
This dish has a total of approximately 2,080 kcal. The calorie count is an estimate and may vary depending on specific ingredients and measurements. The recipe makes about 4 servings, with roughly 520 kcal per serving.