BELGIAN MEATBALLS BRAISED IN BEER

      Title: BELGIAN MEATBALLS BRAISED IN BEER
  Categories: Hamburger, Belgian
       Yield: 6 Servings
  
 MMMMM-------------------------MEATBALLS------------------------------
       1 c  Fresh white bread crumbs
     1/4 c  Milk; or more
       1 lb Ground beef, lean
     1/2 lb Ground pork or veal
       1 lg Egg
       1 tb Shallots; minced
       1 tb Parsley, fresh; fine minced
            ;salt & pepper to taste
       1 pn Nutmeg; grated
       2 tb Flour
       2 tb Unsalted butter
       1 tb Vegetable oil
 
 MMMMM---------------------------SAUCE--------------------------------
       1 md Onion; thinly sliced
       3    Belgian endive; cored/cut in
            -1/4-inch rounds
       1 ts Sugar
            ;salt & pepper to taste
   1 1/2 tb Flour; up to 2 tb
       1 c  Blond Pilsner-style beer
     1/2 c  Beef broth; or chicken
       2 tb Parsley, fresh; garnish
  
   1. To prepare meatballs, soak bread crumbs in milk until thoroughly
   moistened; squeeze dry with hands. Combine bread crumbs, ground meats,
   eggs, shallots, parsley, salt, pepper and nutmeg in medium bowl. Form
   mixture into 6 to 8 balls or patties (2 inches in diameter and
   1/2-inch thick); dust with 2 tablespoons flour.
   
   2. Heat butter and oil in deep, heavy Dutch oven, until hot but not
   smoking, over high heat. Add meatballs; cook until browned on all
   sides, about 5 minutes, making sure butter does not burn. Remove meat
   balls to platter; keep warm.
   
   3. To prepare sauce, discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat in pan. Add
   oion and endives. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about
   10 minutes. Add sugar, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons flour to
   vegetables; cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add beer and
   broth; heat to quick boil, scrapig up all brown bits from bottom of
   pan.
   
   4. Reduce heat to simmer; return meatballs to pan, placing them on
   top of vegetables. Simmer, partly covered, until meat is cooked
   through, 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
   
   Source: "Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook" by Ruth Van
   Warebeck; printed in the Chicago Tribune, October 2, 1996
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