Bitterballen (Dutch Beef Meatballs)

In Indonesian & English (the English version is below the recipe written in Indonesian)

Bahan

• 100 gr Mentega, 1½ sm Peterseli cincang, 2 Telur-kocok
• 350 ml Kaldu sapi-dari memasak daging*, ½ st Pala bubuk
• 400 gr Daging sapi-potong dadu*, ¾ st Lada hitam butir
• 1 Bawang bombay-belah 4, 2 sm Bawang bombay cincang
• 1 Daun salam, beberapa batang Thyme segar, 1 Cengkeh
• 1 Seledri batang besar, 120 gr Panir, ½ st Lada bubuk
• 150 ml Susu evaporated, 200 gr Terigu, Garam, Air
• Minyak goreng

Cara membuat

• Masak daging & air seckpnya utk merendam daging di panci besar. Didihkan, buang busa yg terbentuk. Masukkan batang seledri, thyme, bombay belah, salam, lada hitam & cengkeh. Rebus sampai daging empuk. Angkat, saring 350 ml kaldunya. Buang bumbu & daun lalu cincang halus daging.
• Tumis bawang bombay cincang, sisihkan. Lelehkan mentega di atas api kecil. Mskkan 100 gr terigu sedikit2, aduk dng sendok kayu/whisk sampai menyatu dng mentega (seperti pasta). Tuangi sedikit kaldu, aduk sampai kaldu terserap oleh adonan tsb. Tambahkan lagi kaldu & susu sedikit2 setiap kali, terus aduk sampai adonan halus. Masak beberapa saat, masukkan tumisan bombay, daging & peterseli. Bumbui dng garam, lada & pala. Angkat dari api, tuang ragout ke wadah & biarkan mendingin sempurna. Tutup wadah & masukkan ke kulkas beberapa jam sampai ragout menjadi solid.
• Ambil ragout dng sendok, bentuk menjadi bola2 berukuran ± 4 cm dengan rapi. Gulingkan hati2 di terigu, kmd di telur, terakhir di panir sampai menutupi seluruh permukaan. Tutup & masukkan kulkas 30 menit.
• Panaskan minyak 180° C. Goreng bola2 di dalam minyak hingga terendam sampai kuning kecokelatan (± 4 mnt). Angkat lalu tiriskan di kertas minyak. Hidangkan dng mustad pedas atau saus cabai.
• * Kalau tidak ada waktu, gunakan daging cincang yg dihlskan sekali lagi lalu ditumis matang serta gunakan kaldu konsentrat siap pakai.

Ingredients

• 100 gr Butter, 1½ tbsp chopped Parsley, 2 Eggs-beaten
• ½ tsp ground Pepper, 1 Bay leaf, 120 gr Bread crumbs
• 1 Onion-quartered, 2 tbsp minced Onion, 200 gr Flour
• 350 ml Beef stock-from cooking the meat*, frying Oil
• 400 gr stewing Beef-cubed*, 150 ml Evaporated milk
• 1 Cloves, ¾ tsp Black peppercorns, few sprigs Thyme
• 1 Celery rib, ½ tsp ground Nutmeg, Salt, Water

Directions

• Cook the meat with enough water to cover the meat in a large pan. Bring to a simmer; skim the foam off. Add in the celery stalk, thyme, quartered onion, bay leaf, peppercorns & cloves. Cook until the meat is tender. Remove from the stove; strain off 350 ml stock into a jug. Discard the spices & leaves & then chop the meat finely.
• Sauté minced onion, set it aside. Slowly melt the butter over low heat. Add in 100 gr flour little by little, stir with a wooden spoon/whisk until it has blended with butter (thick paste forming). Pour in a small amount of stock, stir until the paste absorbs the stock. Add more stock & milk little by little; keep stirring until the mixture smooth. Simmer for a few minutes & then stir in sautéed onion, parsley, beef, salt, pepper, ground nutmeg. Remove from the heat; pour the roux into a container & let it cool completely. Cover & refrigerate for several hours until it has solidified.
• Roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into neat, even-sized small balls (~ 4 cm diameter). Roll them lightly through the flour, the egg & then bread crumbs until it covers the whole surface. Wrap & refrigerate the balls for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil to 180° C. Deep-fry the balls until golden brown (~ 4 minutes). Remove from the heat & drain them on paper towels. Serve Bitterballen with spicy mustard or chili sauce.
• * If u don`t have much time, use sautéed finely ground meat & ready to buy beef stock.