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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
20 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
Mouthwatering classic meatballs simmered in a hearty brown beer gravy with caramelized onions and served over creamy ricotta polenta. This 30-minute meal will knock your socks off.
I hope you love to indulge a few meatballs and some rich flavors to go with it. Here we add caramelized onions and simmer them with a dark beer until the pan sauce thickens.
We serve it over a delicious polenta swirled with ricotta. The ricotta cheese adds a creamy touch without a lot of fat, while the parmesan gives it depth and character. The ingredients are simple, the taste is huge. The whole dish comes together in about 30 minutes and will be a meal to remember. —Anna Chwistek | Serving Dumplings
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Ingredients
- polenta
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200 grams
(7 oz) instant polenta
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500 milliliters
(2 cups) chicken broth
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500 milliliters
(2 cups) whole milk
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200 grams
(7 oz) whole milk ricotta
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80 grams
(2.8 oz) grated Parmesan
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2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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salt and black pepper, to taste
- meatballs
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500 grams
(17.6 oz) ground meat, 70% pork with 30% beef
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1/2 teaspoon
each: salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
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1/4 teaspoon
nutmeg
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1
egg
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2 tablespoons
breadcrumbs
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SAUCE
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2
medium onions, thinly sliced
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3
garlic cloves, minced
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250 milliliters
(1 cup) brown beer
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250 milliliters
(1 cup) chicken broth
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3 tablespoons
olive oil
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3 tablespoons
unsalted butter
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1 teaspoon
mild mustard
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1 teaspoon
each: black pepper, dried oregano, dried thyme
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2 tablespoons
flour
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chopped chives, for serving
Directions
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Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix until just combined, using your hands. Roll the meat into 2 tablespoon-size balls.
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In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 10-12 minutes or until they’re cooked through, turning them 2-3 times. Transfer to a plate.
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In the same skillet, add 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter. Cook onions for 5 minutes over low heat. Add garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Stir in black pepper, oregano, thyme and flour. Allow the flour to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour the brown beer and chicken broth, then stir in the mustard. Bring the sauce to a boil.
Slide the meatballs back and all of their released juices into the skillet. Add salt and pepper to your own taste. Simmer over low heat while you make the polenta.
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In a saucepan, bring chicken stock and milk to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, stirring continuously, about 2-3 minutes, over low heat. Turn off the heat. Stir in ricotta, parmesan, salt and black pepper. Add butter and stir to combine. Cover and let stand for 1 minute. If the polenta thickens too much, thin with some additional milk or chicken stock. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
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Divide polenta over bowls, top with meatballs and gravy. Serve with chopped chives, a salad or roasted broccoli. Enjoy!
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