Meatball Stew

Now, THIS is authentic Cajun cooking at its finest. My mom didn't cook this very often (however Mr. ShoeFanatic makes a meatball stew that will make you weak in the knees).

As soon as I saw Christen post this recipe in her blog, I got homesick and knew that I had to make it. Christen's recipe actually doesn't use the roux; she makes a true grease gravy. But sadly, I've never been very good at making grease gravy so I resorted to my old faithful jar of roux. I made a few other changes but I can assure you that both ways are delish!

In case you're wondering, this is not healthy for you. At all.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

Seasoning (salt, black pepper, cayenne and garlic powder)

1/2 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 T minced garlic

2 eggs

2 t evaporated milk

Canola oil (about 1/4 c)

Water

3 T jarred roux (such as Kary's or Savoie's)

Season ground beef to your likening. In a large bowl, mix beef with onion, bell pepper, garlic, eggs, evaporated milk and 2 t water until just combined. Set aside.

Spray the bottom of a heavy pot with nonstick spray (side note: Le Creuset's make an excellent roux). Heat canola oil in the same pot. Roll meatballs and place in oil until brown on the bottom. Once they are in the pot, don't mess with them! Since there are no bread crumbs they will fall apart if you touch them.

When you are sure the bottom half is browned, carefully turn them over to brown the other side. I used a large spoon and some tongs to get the job done.

When all the meatballs are brown on both sides, add 2 cups of hot water to the pot. Turn heat up to medium-high and let it simmer uncovered for about 30-40 minutes or until almost all of the water has boiled out. You should still have about an inch or so of water/grease in the bottom of the pot.

Add 2 more cups of hot water to the pot and again, let it simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or until you have about 2 inches of water/grease in the bottom of the pot.

Add your roux and stir (carefully so you don't break up the meatballs) so that it melts completely. Add another 2 cups of water (or more) and continue simmering until you have reached your desired thickness. About another 30-45 minutes.

Season gravy with salt and red pepper to your taste.

Serve over rice.

VERDICT:

This was so amazingly good. I really, really love Christen's meatballs for the simple fact that they are really meaty. I was very scared to make them without a binding agent but I just loved the meaty flavor.

If you are looking for a real Cajun recipe, this is where you'll find it!

SERVED WITH:

Green beans

SOURCE:

Cooking With Christen