4 PERS. | 2H 10 MIN.
Recipe by The BBQ Bastard
750 g mixed minced meat
1/2 of the herbs
For the herbs:
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp lemongrass powder
For the sauce:
400 ml beef stock Bouillon Herkules
1 tbsp butter
1 sprig of thyme
1 piece star anise
1 sprig of rosemary
1 red onion
1/2 of the herbs
1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
1 good dash of port
1 tbsp sifted flour
2 tbsp pear syrup
200 gr Chestnut mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
cider vinegar to taste
Making a herb rub
Mix the ingredients for the spice rub well. In this recipe we use store-bought minced meat. Since this has already been seasoned, we do not add salt to the spice mix. Break up any lumps with your fingers.
Smoky meatballs
Place the minced meat in a deep bowl and add half of the spice mixture you made.
Mix the herbs well into the mince with your hands. Do this for about five minutes until the herbs are nicely distributed and the mince structure becomes a bit sticky.
With wet hands, make balls of about 5 cm diameter. Let these stiffen in the fridge for half an hour while you start your BBQ on low temperature (+- 100°C) for an indirect session (in this post you can read more about what indirect grilling is).
Add 2 blocks of smoke wood chunks between your coals and wait until the smoke turns light blue before placing the meatballs on your grill. Let the meatballs smoke for 1 hour.
Take a cast iron pan and let it come to temperature. Brown the smoked meatballs in this hot pan until golden brown. Remove the balls and use this pan for the sauce.
For the sauce
Place a cast iron pan on your BBQ and increase the temperature (to +- 180°C). Now make sure you can work directly above the coals for a nice heat. Let the pan heat up and add 1 tbsp. butter. Let this color briefly together with a small dash of sunflower oil.
Add a sprig of thyme, a star of star anise and rosemary to the butter and fry for two minutes so that the flavours can develop nicely.
Caramelize the onion for half an hour. Halfway through add a dash of port, the herbs and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Continue cooking until the onion has become nice and soft and sweet and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sifted flour.
Add the pear syrup together with the Herkules beef stock. Stir well and place the meatballs in the sauce. Let the dish stew for another half hour on the BBQ.
Meanwhile, fry the mushrooms in a little sunflower oil and season with a pinch of salt (to taste). Add these to the dish with smoked meatballs. Finish with pepper salt and cider vinegar to taste.
Serve with fresh puree and a nice portion of red cabbage.
Tip: This recipe can also be finished in an oven. Once the smoky flavor is in the meatballs, you already have the extra flavor.
Tip 2: if the sauce is not thick enough, add the crumbs of half a slice of white bread, let it cook for a while and mix well. This crumb dissolves in the sauce and thickens it nicely.