Meatball Ragout Recipes

FRENCH CANADIAN MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spread flour out in a thin, even layer on a baking sheet.
• Roast the flour in the preheated oven until medium brown in color, 10 to 15 minutes; stir often and watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove the flour from the baking sheet immediately once the desired color has been reached; set aside in a shallow bowl to cool.
• Melt butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir the spice mix into the onion. Place ground pork, parsley, egg, and bread crumbs into the bowl, and mix to combine thoroughly. Form the meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs; roll each meatball in the roasted flour. Reserve unused flour.
• Pour the chicken broth into the pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, and carefully drop in the meatballs, a few at a time, stirring to keep them from sticking on the bottom. Drop in the bay leaf. Simmer the meatballs for 20 minutes; mix in the potatoes, and simmer until potatoes are tender and the broth has reduced, an additional 20 minutes. Transfer the meatballs into a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Remove and discard bay leaf. Mix remaining roasted flour with cold water in a cup, and gradually whisk the flour mixture into the simmering broth to thicken. Bring the gravy to a full boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Return the meatballs to the stew, and serve.

RAGOUT DE BOULETTES CANADIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Brown finely chopped onion in bacon grease.
• Add to ground pork along with celery, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves.
• Shape into balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
• Roll in seasoned flour (flour, salt, and pepper combined).
• Drop meatballs into boiling beef broth.
• Reduce temperature; simmer for 1 hour.
• Thicken remaining stock with browned flour; season to taste.
• NOTES FOR THE COOK:.
• You may make beef stock or use boullion cubes and water.
• Browned flour is something our Mothers and Grandmothers made. It is very simple to make by just stirring several tablespoons of flour back and forth in a dry medium hot skillet. This type of flour will not thicken as quickly as plain flour because the heat breaks down the starch cells. It takes 3 tablespoons of browned flour to do the work of 1-1/2 tablespoons of plain flour. 'Flour may be browned in a hot oven' is what recipe says; I don't know about that; I think it could burn pretty easy.

FRENCH CANADIAN RAGOûT DE BOULETTES (MEATBALL STEW)

Steps:

• 1. Grind all three meats together in a food processor.
• 2. Place meat into a big bowl.
• 3. Add onion, parsley, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, dry mustard, and pepper.
• 4. In a small bowl, put the bread and milk together.
• 5. Blend together well with a spoon or your hands.
• 6. Add the bread mixture to the meat mixture.
• 7. Mix well with a spoon or your hands.
• 8. Shape and roll mixture into meatballs.
• 9. Heat 2 tbs of vegetable oil in a large skillet or saucepan over low heat.
• 10. Add about 25 meatballs to a large skillet or saucepan and cook until meatballs are cooked throughout and no longer pink, flipping a few times to cook evenly, about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness. Repeat until they are all cooked.
• 11. Remove fat from skillet. Add 2 cups of warm water. Cover and cook at low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
• 12. In a jar (Mason), add the warm cup of water and the browned flour. Close lid and shake or simply mix with a spoon until it's mixed.
• 13. Pour in the stew, stir regularly until the gravy has thicken (at least 15-30 minutes). If you find the gravy is not thick enough, add 4 more tablespoon of brown flour with 1/2 cup of warm water. Repeat as necessary.
• Enjoy!

RAGOUT DE BOULETTES

Steps:

• 1. To the ground pork add the onion, bread crumbs, milk, parsley, ginger, and dry mustard. (If you choose to use the ground cinnamon and ground cloves option, add them to the meat mixture). Add the beaten egg. Salt and pepper, make into 2 inch balls. Flour them (with white flour).
• 2. Fry the meat balls in a fat of your choice to brown them.
• 3. Pour 3 cups of broth or water over the meat balls. Add bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cloves and discard.
• 4. Now the secret to the goodness of a ragout Quebec-style: Sprinkle flour into a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until flour becomes an even mid-caramel colour; cool. Watch carefully, it can burn easily. If it does burn, throw it out and gently brown anther 4 tablespoons of flour.
• 5. Shake together in a jar the browned flour and 1/2 cup water. Pour into the broth and continue cooking, stirring until it thickens to a good consistency.
• 6. Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.

PORK HOCKS AND MEATBALL RAGOUT

Steps:

• Instructions:
• Pork Hocks:
• Place in large roasting pan and cover with water. Add 1 chopped onion, 1Tsp salt, ½ Tsp pepper and bay leaf. Bake, uncovered in a 300 * oven for about 3 hours until thoroughly cooked. Remove meat from broth. Pour broth in container and set aside. Discard bones, rind and gristle from hocks, place meat in container and set aside.
• Browning flour:.
• Sprinkle flour on cookie sheet. Brown in a 375* oven, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Let it cool and sift to remove lumps. Whisk flour and water to make a paste. Set aside.
• Meatballs:
• Mix ground pork, ground veal, 2 finely chopped onions, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Shape mixture into small balls. Heat oil in skillet. Cook meatballs till done. Set aside.
• Sauce:
• Whisk together reserved broth and brown flour paste. Simmer 30 minutes until flour mixture is cooked and sauce has thickened. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Add meatballs and the reserved meat from hocks. Cool, pour in containers and freeze for later use. Voilà you have my recipe for ragoût!
• Tips:.
• The pork hocks can be cooked on the stovetop. I find the oven method easier.
• The sauce is not highly seasoned. Cinnamon and cloves can be added. Tasting after each addition is recommended to get the desired flavour.

RAGOUT DE PATTES DE COCHON (PORK SHANK AND MEATBALL STEW)

Steps:

• Mix sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, nutmeg, and garlic salt together in a bowl. Rub salt mixture all over pork shanks.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan. Cook pork shanks in the hot oil until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Pour in enough water to cover the shanks. Stir in coarsely chopped onion and celery. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until pork can be easily removed from the bones, 2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer pork shanks to a cutting board; shred pork.
• Strain cooking liquid, discarding bones, onion, and celery. Pour strained liquid back into the saucepan. Stir in shredded pork.
• Mix ground pork, finely chopped onion, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, ginger, mustard powder, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Shape into balls.
• Pour toasted flour into a shallow dish. Roll meatballs in toasted flour.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in batches until browned, about 1 minute per side.
• Stir browned meatballs into the shredded pork stew. Simmer, stirring in leftover toasted flour, until meatballs are no longer pink in the center and stew is thick, about 30 minutes.

BROKEN MEATBALL RAGù

Steps:

• Roasted Garlic Purée: Preheat oven to 300 F. Slice off the top of the garlic bulb, just enough to expose the cloves. Place in a small baking dish, cut side down, and add enough vegetable oil to come halfway up the garlic. Roast in the oven until cloves are golden and soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside until cool, 20 minutes. Fit a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Press the cloves through the mesh with your hands, a bench scraper, or spoon to catch any tough fibers or skin. Set aside. Makes about ¼ cup Roasted Garlic Purée. (Note: You can roast several heads of garlic at a time and store the purée in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.)
• Amatriciana Sauce: Cut guanciale into a small dice and place in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Sauté until fat begins to render, 3-4 minutes; reduce heat to low. Meanwhile, dice the onion (the pieces should be the same size as the guanciale). When the guanciale has turned golden brown and rendered some fat, add the onions, along with the red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Continue to sauté until the fat is mostly rendered, the meat is browned, and the onions are soft and translucent, 3-4 more minutes. To the pot, add the puréed tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered until slightly thickened, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs.
• Meatballs: Preheat oven to 450 F. Place bread in a bowl and add the milk; set aside to soak. Next, place puréed onion onto a clean kitchen towel. Wrap tightly, then wring the towel to squeeze out the liquid; set the onion aside. Finely chop the parsley leaves. Squeeze the milk out of the bread (with a towel, as with the onions, or using your hands); discard milk. Place bread in a large mixing bowl, along with veal, beef, Parmigiano, Pecorino, onions, parsley, Roasted Garlic Purée, and the egg. Mix with your hands until just combined. Season with several turns of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray or a bit of neutral oil. Use a large ice cream scoop to portion the meatball mixture. With lightly oiled hands, shape the mixture into balls and place them, evenly spaced, on the baking sheet; you should have about 12 meatballs. Bake for 12 minutes.
• Pasta assembly: Remove meatballs from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle, 5-10 minutes. Remove sauce from heat. Break each meatball into 3 or 4 pieces and add to the sauce. Stir to combine. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt so the water tastes as salty as the ocean. Add the linguine to the boiling water and cook until the pasta is al dente, but still a bit firm in the center. (Keep in mind that the pasta will continue to cook in the sauce.) Meanwhile, bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Drain pasta and add to the boiling sauce. Stir until all of the noodles are coated; then add butter, Parmigiano, and Pecorino. Stir to melt the butter and both cheeses. Serve immediately, family-style, with additional Parmigiano and Pecorino at the table.

RAGOûT DE PATTES DE COCHON (PORK STEW WITH MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• STOCK:.
• The day before serving the ragout, season pork hocks with salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
• Caramelized onions in a deep saucepan in 2 Tbsp butter (Recipe #356677). Remove from saucepan.
• In same saucepan, melt 2 tbsp fat and , then brown hocks until dark brown in colour on all sides (this is the secret to a great ragout).
• Add water, chicken bouillon cube, and onions to pork hocks. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for at least two hours, until meat falls from bones.
• At this point it's a good idea to remove pork hocks from saucepan and refrigerate the hocks and ragout overnight in fridge so that you can.
• Remove/skim the congealed fat.
• Roast flour in 350F oven until caramel brown. This takes about 1 hour. (should be dark brown but not burnt so keep an eye on it). Alternatively you may brown the flour in a hot dry pan (No oil!), stirring continuously until it's a rich, deep, brown colour. (You must be careful not to burn the flour by controlling the temperature of your pan and stirring constantly until done).
• Remove meat from bone and set aside.
• Thicken ragout by using a jar or blender to mix the roasted flour with the 1/2 cup water and pour into the ragout, stirring until well mixed and broth has thickened to a nice consistency.
• Season with salt, pepper and allspice to taste.
• Add cooked pork meatballs and pork meat and heat thoroughly.
• MEAT BALLS:.
• Mix all ingredients and pat mixture into a 1 inch thick rectangle, then cut into 1 inch squares.
• Shape each square into a 1 inch meatball.
• Bake in 400F oven for 10 minutes.
• Add to Ragoût de pattes to complete cooking.
• Ragout is sometimes served with boiled or mashed potatoes.

RAGOUT DE BOULETTES

Steps:

• Cube the bread very finely and soak in milk for 5 minutes.
• In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoons of the butter and cook the onion until tender.
• Transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the pork, bread mixture, parsley and spices.
• Mix thoroughly and form into 2-inch meatballs.
• In the skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat.
• Brown the meatballs, one layer at a time, on all sides.
• Place in a large roaster and set aside.
• Pour off the fat.
• Pour 1 cup of the stock into the skillet.
• Heat, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Pour over the meatballs, then pour in the remaining stock.
• Bake, partially covered, for 1-1/4 hours at 350 degrees F.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• In a clean skillet, cook the flour over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden.
• Blend the flour with the cold water until smooth.
• Place the roaster over medium heat and bring to a boil.
• Gradually pour in the flour mixture and stir constantly and cook until thickened.
• Let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle generously with parsley.