Pork Boulettes 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.

RAGOUT DE BOULETTES DE PORC (STEW WITH GROUND PORK)

Steps:

• Put pork in mixing bowl.
• Cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes; there should be 2 cups. Put them in a bowl and add cold water to cover. Cut carrots into rounds approximately same size as potatoes; there should be 2 cups. Set aside.
• Heat butter in small skillet and add 1/2 of onions and 1/2 teaspoon garlic. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add to pork. Add ginger, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, salt, pepper and egg. Blend well.
• Have small bowl of cold water ready. Divide pork mixture into 24 portions and, using dampened fingers and palms, shape each into ball.
• Sprinkle balls with remaining bread crumbs and roll balls to coat with crumbs. Discard excess.
• Heat oil in skillet large enough to hold meatballs without crowding. Add meatballs and cook, turning often to brown evenly, 2 or 3 minutes. Scatter remaining onions and minced garlic around meatballs.
• Add wine and bring to boil. Add tomatoes and bring to boil. Drain potatoes and add them. Add carrots, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook 20 minutes.
• Put frozen peas in sieve and run briefly under piping hot water from faucet. Add them to ragout. Bring to boil and serve.

RILLETTES

Steps:

• Place the pork belly and shoulder in the heavy-bottomed pot. Add water and bouquet garni and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. After 6 hours, stir in salt and pepper and remove from heat. Discard bouquet garni.
• Once meat is cool enough to handle, transfer it to the mixing bowl; using a fork, shred the meat, taking care to preserve the natural filament -- meaning you want shreds, not mush. Feel free to shovel a little still-warm pork into your face. C'mon, you know you want to.
• Next, divide the mixture among several small containers. Top each portion with a slice or two of pork fat to completely cover it, fold the mixture together a bit, then wrap each container in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for 3 days before serving. This is the hardest part -- just know that it only gets better as those flavors marry up in the fridge.
• To serve: Scoop some out, form it into a vaguely artful shape (with a metal ring for instance), and garnish with toasted baguette rounds and cornichons. Left covered, rillettes will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

BOULETTES

Steps:

• Mix meat and seasonings. Shape into 1 inch meatballs.
• Put enough water in saucepan that the meatballs will be covered. Bring to a boil.
• Add 1 meatball at a time so water does not stop boiling.
• Cook until liquid is reduced to about 1c - about 30 minutes.
• Whisk in flour to thicken and reseason to taste. Should you overthicken, just add more water to desired consistency.
• Serve over rice or noodles or by itself.

RAGOUT DE BOULETTES

Steps:

• 1. To the ground pork add the onion, bread crumbs, milk, parsley, ginger, and dry mustard. (If you choose to use the ground cinnamon and ground cloves option, add them to the meat mixture). Add the beaten egg. Salt and pepper, make into 2 inch balls. Flour them (with white flour).
• 2. Fry the meat balls in a fat of your choice to brown them.
• 3. Pour 3 cups of broth or water over the meat balls. Add bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and cloves and discard.
• 4. Now the secret to the goodness of a ragout Quebec-style: Sprinkle flour into a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until flour becomes an even mid-caramel colour; cool. Watch carefully, it can burn easily. If it does burn, throw it out and gently brown anther 4 tablespoons of flour.
• 5. Shake together in a jar the browned flour and 1/2 cup water. Pour into the broth and continue cooking, stirring until it thickens to a good consistency.
• 6. Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.

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.

PORK MEATBALLS (BOULETTES DE PORC)

Steps:

• Put pork in a mixing bowl and set aside.
• In another bowl, combine bread pieces and milk. Blend thoroughly with the fingers, then add to the pork, along with the onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Blend thoroughly with the fingers.
• Shape the mixture into 6 to 8 meatballs of about the same size.

PORK BOULETTES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, combine the pork and 3 teaspoons of the Essence, and cook, stirring, until brown over medium high heat, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the flour and, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, make a dark brown roux. To the pork, add the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the pork mixture to the roux and cook for 1 minute. Add the water, salt, and cayenne, and bring to a boil. Simmer until thick, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice, green onions, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and spread on a baking sheet or platter until cool enough to handle. In a shallow bowl, season the remaining 3/4 cup of flour with 2 teaspoons of the Essence. In another shallow bowl, season the remaining 1 cup of bread crumbs with the remaining tablespoon of Essence. In a third shallow bowl, whisk the egg and milk together. Preheat the oil to 360 degrees F. Shape the pork and rice mixture into balls the size of walnuts. Dredge the pork balls first in the flour, then dip in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the balls in the seasoned bread crumbs, turning to coat evenly. Using a slotted spoon, slide the balls in batches into the oil and fry, turning until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season lightly with salt, and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve hot with the Spicy Dip