Meatballs pork legs stew (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Pork shank essentials
01 -
3.5 kg of pork shanks with skin, sliced in half
02 -
1 garlic head, peeled
03 -
4 bay leaves
04 -
4 cloves
05 -
5 ml juniper berries
06 -
2 cinnamon sticks
07 -
4 onions, peeled and halved
08 -
15 ml olive oil
→ Meatball ingredients
09 -
30 g breadcrumbs
10 -
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
11 -
1 kg ground pork
12 -
15 ml wholegrain mustard
13 -
1 egg
14 -
1 clove garlic, peeled
→ Sauce necessities
15 -
105 g lightly toasted flour
16 -
1 liter cooking broth from pork shanks
17 -
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
18 -
30 ml pork fat or olive oil
19 -
1 liter beef stock
20 -
1 carrot, finely sliced
21 -
2 garlic cloves, minced
# Instructions:
01 -
In a big pot over medium heat, cook the onions in oil for 5 minutes until golden. Toss in garlic, pork shanks, spices, salt, and some pepper. Pour in enough water to cover everything, bring it to a boil, skim off the foam, then let it simmer on medium heat for 3 hours until the meat is incredibly tender. Take the shanks out, keep 30 ml of the fat, let them cool, and then remove the bones and trim the fat from the meat. Set it all aside.
02 -
Start by preheating your oven to 200°C and lining two baking trays with parchment paper. In a food processor, blend the shallot and garlic finely. Mix it all into a bowl with the egg, ground pork, breadcrumbs, mustard, salt, and pepper. Roll mixture into small balls (about 15 ml each) with slightly oiled hands and spread them on the trays. Bake for 15 minutes, shaking the trays halfway through cooking. Set the meatballs aside once baked.
03 -
Heat the reserved fat in a pan over medium heat, then soften the carrot, celery, and garlic in it. Pour in the pork broth and beef stock, bring everything to a boil, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the toasted flour while whisking, then simmer the sauce for another 5 minutes. Strain the sauce with a fine sieve, add the meatballs and reserved pork, and let it all simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as needed, and it's ready to serve.
# Notes:
01 -
Keep extra cooking broth on hand to thin the sauce if necessary.
02 -
You can buy pre-toasted flour or toast it yourself at home.
03 -
If you need to make a double batch, use a very large pot, but don't increase the spice amounts.