Stuffed Meatballs in Guinness Gravy

Stuffed Meatballs in Guinness Gravy! Served on Colcannon! It’s not right to serve this just once a year on St. Patrick’s Day! I’m so transparently not excited about this.?

When I made my Stuffed Albondigas (Mexican Stuffed Meatballs), I inadvertently unleashed a monster of my own making. Now every time I serve homemade meatballs, my family expects to bite into something ooey-gooey melty cheesy erupting out of the meatballs.

Well, their wish is my command, and I made it come true with this Meatball Stew. Meatballs stuffed with Irish Dubliner cheese… smothered in Guinness flavored gravy… served atop Colcannon. Mmm…

Mmm… was what I heard when I placed this on the dinner table last night. Frankly, that’s the only comment I need and want to hear.

As far as I’m concerned, when it comes to this Stuffed Meatballs, mmm…mmm…mmm is sufficient.

Not that anything else is superfluous. I would also gladly accept the following:

“Wow, these stuffed meatballs are to die for!”

“You put Guinness in the gravy? I think I can taste it, but it’s not bitter or anything. It’s really good!”

”I like this cheese inside the meatballs. What kind of cheese is it? Dubliner? Is that an Irish cheese?”

Some of these comments may have been thrown around last night, I can’t be sure. I was too busy stuffing my face with these stuffed meatballs.

If none of these endorsements is enough to make you want to make this Stuffed Meatballs in Guinness Gravy, I don’t know what will. All I can say is that you won’t be sorry if you decide to make them.

How To Make The Stuffed Meatballs

First, you need the following ingredients.

I used a meatloaf mix that had 1/3 ground beef, 1/3 pork, and 1/3 veal, but you can use any ground meat of your choice.

After mixing the meat with the rest of the ingredients (except for the cheese), divide it into 20 equal portions. Flatten each portion into a patty, place 1 or 2 pieces of cubed Dubliner cheese in the center, then enclose the meat around the cheese, rolling it into a ball.

Dubliner cheese is a slightly crumbly cheese, so if the cubed cheese crumbles, just pat the crumbs together into the center of the meat patties.

What Goes In The Guinness Gravy

First, you need this.

That’s the only Guinness I can stomach. Guinness Draught is too bitter for me, Extra Stout even more. I’m not used to drinking beer, but I like it enough in cooking, like in this case. If you enjoy beer, you may want to try other types of Guinness besides Guinness Blonde. The Extra Stout would probably give you a bolder flavor.

The rest of the ingredients that go into the gravy is pretty standard stew ingredients.

The 2 Secret Ingredients

The two ingredients that may be a little unusual are gelatin powder and toasted flour.

Ever since I learned what gelatin powder adds to stews or soups or sauces from Serious Eats, I never looked back. Gelatin powder adds another layer of richness to your gravy and contributes to its thickness and glossiness.

Check out this All-American Beef Stew for another recipe using gelatin powder.

The toasted flour idea came from Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Fork In The Road.

I will dwell on the subject of toasted flour more in-depth in a future post, but for now, let’s just say it adds richness in both the flavor and color of this Guinness Gravy.

If you don’t have toasted flour on hand and don’t want to make it, just substitute it with your preferred choice for thickening gravy, i.e., Wondra flour, all-purpose flour, corn starch, etc. Adjust the amount accordingly.

Okay, are you ready to make Stuffed Meatballs in Guinness Gravy? Print the recipe below:

5.0 from 2 reviews

Stuffed Meatballs in Guinness Gravy

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Stuffed Meatballs in Guinness Gravy! Served on Colcannon! It's not right to serve this just once a year on St. Patrick's Day! I’m so transparently not excited about this. ?

Author: Angie | FiestaFriday.net

Recipe type: Entrée/Main

Cuisine: Irish/American

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients

For The Meatballs

• 1½ lbs. meatloaf mix (or ground beef/lamb/pork)
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced finely
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 4 oz. Dubliner cheese, cut into small cubes

For the Guinness Gravy

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dry)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup toasted flour
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin powder
• 2½ cups low-sodium beef or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (330 ml) bottle Guinness Blonde
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

For The Meatballs

1. Sauté the diced onion in a little bit of oil until soft (about 5 minutes). Let it cool completely.
2. Once the onion is cool, mix it with the rest of the meatball ingredients (except for the cubed cheese) in a large bowl.
3. Use clean hands to really mix the ingredients well together. Divide into 20 equal portions.
4. Flatten each portion into a patty, place 1 or 2 cheese cubes in the center, and enclose the meat around the cheese, forming it into a ball.
5. Brown meatballs by pan-frying until nice and browned, or baking in 400° oven for 15 minutes.

For the Guinness Gravy

1. Whisk the gelatin powder into the beef or chicken stock to let it dissolve and bloom. Set aside.
2. Sauté all the chopped vegetables (onion, carrot, celery) in a tablespoon of olive oil. Once they’re soft, add the garlic, herbs, tomato paste, and toasted flour. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the fond as it forms, for a few minutes, or until everything looks nicely brown and toasty.
3. Add the stock and Guinness. The Guinness will froth, stir it down. Add the rest of the ingredients and turn down the heat to simmer.
4. Once the gravy thickens slightly, add the meatballs. Continue cooking until meatballs are fully cooked and gravy looks glossy and thickened to your liking. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
5. Best served hot over Colcannon or mashed potatoes.

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