Pyra is quite the cook. Not only is the the Aegis, but she is quite skilled in whipping up various Alrest delicacies. While spending time at Tora’s House or Corinne’s House, she likes to practice these skills in the kitchen trying recipes, both old and new. One such recipe that Pura can make is the Meatball Pot-au-Feu.
I’ll admit, the in-game ingredients for the Meatball Pot-au-Feu don’t completely make sense for this dish. Pots-au-Feu are rustic dishes consisting of meat and vegetable boiled in a broth. These are often served in two courses, with the broth being enjoyed first, followed by the meat and vegetables in a separate course.
For this variation, I decided to maintain the spirit of the French dish, but beef meatballs will be the main protein. To help accent the broth flavor, we will be using short ribs along with some vegetables and aromatics. The beef meatballs will be rolled and seared prior to being cooked through in the soup broth. The serving vegetables will be simmered in the broth alongside the meatballs. A portion of the broth will be served in a small both alongside a sampling of the short rib, meatballs, and vegetables. A horseradish sauce can be served with the dish to dip the meat (and vegetables if desired). All in all, it’s a delicious and rustic meal. I would be delighted if Pyra made me a bowl of this while relaxing in Fonsett Village.
Ingredients
Short Ribs and Broth
1 ½ lbs bone in beef short rib
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp whole cloves
2 bay leaves
Small handful of thyme sprigs
3 cups beef stock
6 cups cold water
½ tsp salt
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Olive oil
Meatballs
1 ½ lbs ground beef
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp ground cloves
Olive oil
Serving Vegetables
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2-3 parsnips, peeled and chopped
12-16 small baby potatoes
2 stalks of celery, chopped
½ small head of savoy cabbage, sliced in wedges
Horseradish Sauce
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp prepared horseradish
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp prepared horseradish
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper
The first step will be to prepare the short ribs and the broth for the Pot Au Feu. Season the short rib well with salt and pepper. Place a pressure cooker over medium high heat. Once warm, add olive oil, and then sear the short ribs in batches. Sear them for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until nicely browned on each side. Repeat with each batch until the short ribs are fully browned. Reserve the short ribs on a plate to the side.
Return all of the short ribs to the pressure cooker. Add the onions, carrots, and celery followed by the broth and water. Stir the contents together. Add in the peppercorns, whole cloves, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs, and stir again to fully mix everything together.
Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and allow it to come to pressure. Once it reaches full pressure, turn the heat down to low, and allow the short ribs to pressure cook for one hour.
While the short ribs are cooking, make the meatballs. Mix the breadcrumbs with the milk in a small bowl and allow the breadcrumbs to soak for about 15 minutes, absorbing the milk and softening. Add the onions and garlic, along with a tablespoon of olive oil, to a food processor. Purée the onions and garlic as finely as possible.
Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture, the softened breadcrumbs, the beaten egg, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and ground clove to the ground meat. Mix the contents together by hand very well. You want to make sure all of the ingredients are fully blended and incorporated.
Once it’s all mixed, roll the meatballs. Take heaping spoonfuls of the meat mixture and roll them between your palms to create balls that are about 1 to 1½ inches in diameter.
Once the meatballs are rolled, set a pan over medium heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a the pan and sear the meatballs in batches, frying them for about 2-3 minutes until the bottom is nicely browned. Then, roll them to the other side and fry for an additional 2-3 minutes. Reserve the browned meatballs on a plate until the short ribs are done pressure cooking. The meatballs do not need to be cooked all the way through, just well browned. They will be cooked through in the broth later.
Additionally, make the horseradish sauce. Combine the sour cream, prepared horseradish, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and mix together with a spoon until fully blended. Season with salt and black pepper, and stir the seasonings into the sauce. Reserve the sauce in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.
Once an hour has passed, remove the pressure cooker from the heat and allow it to depressurize. Once it has, remove the lid, and remove the short ribs, reserving them in a bowl. Strain the broth into another bowl through a mesh strainer. Return the broth to the pressure cooker and discard the herbs and vegetables.
Place the broth back over medium high heat until it boils and then reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the broth along with the chopped potatoes, chopped carrots, chopped parsnips, chopped celery, and sliced savoy cabbage. Place a lid on the pot and allow the soup to simmer for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the meatballs to the broth and return the lid. Allow the meatballs and vegetables to simmer for an additional 10 minutes, or until the vegetables soften and the meatballs have cooked through.
The Pot-au-Feu is now done! To serve, ladle a portion of the soup broth into a small bowl and place it to one side of a plate. Arrange a portion of short rib, meatballs, and the vegetables around the broth bowl on the plate. Serve a portion of the horseradish sauce in a small dipping dish along with the meat and vegetables. The broth can be drank first or alongside the meat and vegetables. Enjoy!