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Boulettes of Beef If I have a large piece of leftover beef, say some roast beef or pot roast, I might slice it thin and serve it cold with mustard and a salad, or dice it and dress it for a cold salad of beef, or make Beef Mironton (see recipe). But when I have an end piece from a roast or pieces of stew or steak—odds and ends that are not uniform in size or texture, some dry, some fatty—I grind it to use in a stuffing, or with beans for a type of chili, or to make boulettes, which are part of every French housewife's repertoire. Boulettes—"small balls" in French—are simply meatballs made from cooked meat rather than fresh ground beef. The boulettes can be served as you would cold meat loaf, with a salad like the cabbage salad on (see recipe) or a simple lettuce salad with a mustardy dressing. They are excellent with a barbecue sauce and mashed potatoes, or with pasta or gnocchi and a tomato sauce like the one on page 48 or the Sauce Financiere (recipe below). If made ahead of time, they can be reheated in the sauce. 3/4-pound leftover beef (boiled beef, pot roast, stew meat, or roast beef) 1/2 cup finely chopped onions 1/4 cup finely chopped celery 1 clove garlic, peeled, crushed, and chopped very fine 4 eggs 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 3 tablespoons flour 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder Vegetable oil for frying Slice the meat and process it in a food processor until it is finely chopped. You should have about 2 1/2 to 3 cups. Combine it with the other ingredients. Heat about 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet. With your hands make patties with approximately 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture (this recipe should yield approximately 18 patties). Pat them gently to flatten them a bit, and place them flat side down in the hot oil. Cook approximately 2 minutes on each side. (The oil can be strained and reused.) Sauce Financiere The classic Sauce Financiere is rather esoteric, made of tomatoes and Madeira-flavored brown sauce garnished with quenelles, cockscombs, chicken kidneys, truffles, mushroom caps, and pitted olives. No wonder with an ingredient list like that its name is redolent of money! In French homes, however, the word Financiere is associated with a simple fresh tomato sauce made with mushrooms and green olives. In Lyons, Sauce Financiere served with fish quenelles is a very common listing on menus in small restaurants. Our Sauce Financiere, made with fresh tomatoes, is perfectly delicious. Unlike many other tomato sauces, ours is cooked quite fast. Cooking tomatoes for a long time tends to darken them and make them more acidic; they lose some of their fresh, sweet taste. In winter, when tomatoes are yellow and less flavorful, add a tablespoon of tomato paste for taste and color, or substitute a can of plum tomatoes. 1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 cup finely chopped onions 3 small cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (1 teaspoon) 1 3/4 to 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups) 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Garnish 2 cups small mushrooms (approximately 1/2 pound optional) 2/3 cup pieces of green olives (see note) Heat the oil in a saucepan, and add the thyme, oregano, on1 ions, and garlic. Cook the mixture on medium to high heat for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 to 6 minutes. At this point the tomatoes will have liquefied if they are nice and ripe. Push the mixture through a food mill, using the fine screen, then return it to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the mushrooms (wash them in water first if they are dirty), bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, cover the green olives with cold water in an other saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 seconds, drain, and rinse the olives under cold water. This eliminates some of their bitterness. Add the olives to the tomato sauce and set aside until ready to use. [On the right, Boulettes of Beef and Parisienne Gnocchi served with Sauce Financiere. ] NOTE: Green olive pieces can be bought in jars and are less expensive than whole olives; if you use whole olives, cut them into pieces. Return to Top |
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