French Canadian Ragout Recipes

RAGOUT DE PATTES DE COCHON (PORK SHANK AND MEATBALL STEW)

Steps:

• Mix sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, nutmeg, and garlic salt together in a bowl. Rub salt mixture all over pork shanks.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan. Cook pork shanks in the hot oil until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Pour in enough water to cover the shanks. Stir in coarsely chopped onion and celery. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until pork can be easily removed from the bones, 2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer pork shanks to a cutting board; shred pork.
• Strain cooking liquid, discarding bones, onion, and celery. Pour strained liquid back into the saucepan. Stir in shredded pork.
• Mix ground pork, finely chopped onion, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, ginger, mustard powder, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Shape into balls.
• Pour toasted flour into a shallow dish. Roll meatballs in toasted flour.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in batches until browned, about 1 minute per side.
• Stir browned meatballs into the shredded pork stew. Simmer, stirring in leftover toasted flour, until meatballs are no longer pink in the center and stew is thick, about 30 minutes.

FRENCH CANADIAN MEATBALL STEW

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spread flour out in a thin, even layer on a baking sheet.
• Roast the flour in the preheated oven until medium brown in color, 10 to 15 minutes; stir often and watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove the flour from the baking sheet immediately once the desired color has been reached; set aside in a shallow bowl to cool.
• Melt butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir the spice mix into the onion. Place ground pork, parsley, egg, and bread crumbs into the bowl, and mix to combine thoroughly. Form the meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs; roll each meatball in the roasted flour. Reserve unused flour.
• Pour the chicken broth into the pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, and carefully drop in the meatballs, a few at a time, stirring to keep them from sticking on the bottom. Drop in the bay leaf. Simmer the meatballs for 20 minutes; mix in the potatoes, and simmer until potatoes are tender and the broth has reduced, an additional 20 minutes. Transfer the meatballs into a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Remove and discard bay leaf. Mix remaining roasted flour with cold water in a cup, and gradually whisk the flour mixture into the simmering broth to thicken. Bring the gravy to a full boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Return the meatballs to the stew, and serve.

FRENCH CANADIAN RAGOUT (FRICOT)

Steps:

• HOME MADE BROWNED FLOUR: Turn oven on to broil.
• In a large skillet put about 3 cups of all purpose flour.
• Place in the oven on the middle rack.
• Let the flour brown for about 5-6 minutes.
• Remove and stir well.
• Repeat, mixing every 5-6 minutes.
• Be careful not to burn.
• This may require 4-6 times.
• Brown and mix until flour is a nice light caramel colour.
• In a large pot put the pork pieces, the studded onion, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
• Cover with water about two inches above.
• Bring to boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hour.
• The meat should be well done.
• Remove the meat and let cool so you can handle it.
• Remove the skin and most of the fat, leaving the meat in chunks.
• Refrigerate.
• Meanwhile let the broth cool overnight so the fat comes to the top and congeals so it can be removed.
• FOR THE MEATBALLS: Mix all the other ingredients, (except browned flour) in a bowl.
• Mix well and form meatballs about one inch in diameter.
• Cover a baking pan with foil and cook the meatballs in a 350°F oven for approx 15 minutes.
• Refrigerate.
• The next day put the reserved pork meat in the pot and pour enough of the degreased broth to cover by about 3 inches.
• Bring to a light boil.
• Meanwhile, Mix the flour with cold water a bit at a time until you get a medium thick paste.
• Pour one large spoonful at a time in the broth and let simmer a few minutes.
• Repeat until the sauce is thickened to your taste (not too thick).
• Add the meatballs and cook another 7-10 minutes.
• Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes.
• If you want to be traditional, also serve with the tourtiere.

RAGOUT DE BOULETTES CANADIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Brown finely chopped onion in bacon grease.
• Add to ground pork along with celery, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves.
• Shape into balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
• Roll in seasoned flour (flour, salt, and pepper combined).
• Drop meatballs into boiling beef broth.
• Reduce temperature; simmer for 1 hour.
• Thicken remaining stock with browned flour; season to taste.
• NOTES FOR THE COOK:.
• You may make beef stock or use boullion cubes and water.
• Browned flour is something our Mothers and Grandmothers made. It is very simple to make by just stirring several tablespoons of flour back and forth in a dry medium hot skillet. This type of flour will not thicken as quickly as plain flour because the heat breaks down the starch cells. It takes 3 tablespoons of browned flour to do the work of 1-1/2 tablespoons of plain flour. 'Flour may be browned in a hot oven' is what recipe says; I don't know about that; I think it could burn pretty easy.

FRENCH CANADIAN RAGOUT

Steps:

• In a large pot, boil hocks and all all spices.
• Boil till all the meat is easily taken off the bones.
• Remove all meat and eliminate the fat and whatever you dont want to eat from the hocks, this should take 1 to 1 and a half hours.
• Discard bones and unwanted matter.
• Set aside.
• Stain liquid and hold till later.
• In a fry pan, brown dry flour till it starts smelling great and turns lightly beige (dont let the flour burn) Add liquid to flour stirring constantly till you get a good constistency. Your call.
• Pour everything in your large pot and cook till your potatoes are done adding more spices or water for your taste.
• If anything it makes for great glue in the morning. Joking aside its a great winters rib sticking meal. Try it its delicious. MERCI.