Cookbook:Beef Croquettes

Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes | Beef

Ingredients

For the beef and broth

• 3-4 lb. (about 1.5 kg) beef roast
• 2 cans beef stock
• 2 cups water
• 4 small beef bouillon cubes
• 4 bay leaves
• some dried minced onion
• some Worcestershire sauce
• pepper and salt to taste

For the roux

• 1 stick of butter
• ½ cup all purpose flour

For the final assembly

• additional flour, for dredging
• 2 eggs
• Bread crumbs, for dredging
• Vegetable oil or shortening, for deep frying

Procedure

1. Add the first set of ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook overnight on low, or until the meat starts to fall apart.
2. This should yield about 1 quart (1 liter) of broth. Chill it in the fridge until the fat solidifies on the surface. Scoop off the fat.
3. Use 2 forks to tear apart the meat. You can use a food processor if you don't want big chunks of meat in the final product.
4. In a deep frying pan, prepare a light brown roux with the butter and flour.
5. While stirring the roux, slowly start adding the broth. It should accept all the broth to make a real thick sauce or gravy.
6. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Pour it into a bowl or container and chill it for a couple of hours, or better, overnight.
7. Prepare 3 stations, one deep plate with flour, one with 2 beaten eggs, one with plain bread crumbs. Start rolling the meat into small balls, about 1 1/2 in diameter. Roll each ball into flour, then egg, then plain breadcrumbs.
8. Deep fry in 350°F (175°C) vegetable oil or shortening until golden brown.
9. Serve hot with the sauce / gravy, perhaps with a starch such as mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noddles.

Notes, tips, and variations

• Instead of balls, you can roll "cigars", about 4 inches (10 cm) long and about 1-1/4" (3 cm) in diameter.
• Croquettes can be prepared ahead of time and frozen in a freezer zipper bag. When ready to continue, they may be added to the heated oil without being defrosted.