POST SUPER BOWL MEATBALL STEW

 

With Super Bowl LII festivities squared off, crowning the Philadelphia Eagles as epic champions with their first ever Lombardi trophy, we’re all probably still reeling from the countless wings, nachos, burgers and dogs devoured nationwide.

After yesterday’s game revelries, the foray in the kitchen loomed as an annoyance.  Our stomachs were still lurching from yesterday’s buffalo wings, potato salad, pork sliders and a constant nibbling of chips and dip to boot!

With that said, a thought had been lurking all of last week, that demanded exploration.  A flash recipe on Facebook had planted a small seed, however, the Salisbury Meatball Stew didn’t sound tremendously appetizing with the addition of a can of mushroom soup and another rendition calling for a truckload of butter.

So, putting wheels into motion, I donned my apron and laid out a strategic plan for my version of meatball stew.

 

STEWED MEATBALLS WITH FENNEL AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH

½ a head of fennel – sliced

1 ½ cups of baby carrots

½ onion – chopped

2 cloves of garlic – minced

1 basket of white mushrooms – washed briefly, wiped dry and cut into quarters

1 TSP of Better than Bouillon

2 TBSP tomato paste

¼ cup of parsley – chopped

1 ½ cups of butternut squash – cubed into medium size pieces

Flour for dusting

¾ cup of white wine

Chicken stock – low sodium – enough to cover the meatballs

2 Bay leaves

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

 

MEATBALLS

1/2 LB of grass-feed ground sirloin

½ LB organic ground pork

3 TBSP chopped parsley

¼ cup of bread crumbs

2 TBSP grated onion

1 TSP garlic powder

1 beaten egg

2 TBSP of Worcestershire sauce

1 TSP Italian herbs

1 TSP of sweet Spanish paprika – not smoked

2 TBSP of water

½ TSP fresh grated nutmeg

¼ cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

 

Place the ground meats in a large bowl.  Add all the ingredients and mix well with your hands. Don’t over mix.  Wet your hands with some water to prevent the mixture from sticking.  In a shallow platter add some flour and with a small ice cream scooper, make the balls.  Roll in the flour and fry in a skillet till golden, but not cooked, just to give them some color.  Remove to a platter lined with paper towels, being careful not to break them.

In a large Dutch oven, heat up 2 TBSP of olive oil and sweat the onion and fennel with a pinch of salt.  Add the garlic and the carrots and sauté for 2 more minutes.  Incorporate the cubed squash and mix well with the other veggies.  Add the white wine and allow to evaporate by half, after which add the chicken stock and Better Than Bouillon.  Throw in the 2 TBSP of tomato paste and blend well with the liquid.  Nestle the meatballs gently into the pot, add the fresh parsley, bay leaf and scatter the quartered mushrooms on top.  Braise, half covered for about 45 mins to 1 hour till the meatballs are soft, turning them in the liquid halfway through.  Mix in the mushrooms well into the stew after they have cooked and adjust seasonings.

Ensure you have only enough liquid to cover the meatballs.  You will be left with a divine, velvety, reduced sauce.

NOTE

Coating the balls in flour before searing allows them to stay whole while they are braising in the stew.  The addition of fennel gives the dish a very refined and understated licorice undertone plus the butternut squash imparts tremendous creaminess.  This is a stand-alone, hearty-stew, however it can be served for the very hungry over mashed potatoes or egg pasta.

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Pantry Rat