Braetknoedel (Ground Meat Dumplings)
Submitted by fierce
Traditional Swabian meat dumplings made with ground beef and pork, seasoned with nutmeg and parsley, simmered gently in salted water. Serve in hot beef broth for a cozy German soup.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minStraight from the Swabian kitchen of southern Germany, these little meat dumplings are the kind of soul food that warms you from the inside out.
Ground beef and pork get mixed with egg, breadcrumbs, cream, and a grating of nutmeg, then shaped into small rounds and poached gently in simmering water.
The key word is gently: these must never boil, or they’ll fall apart.
Ladle them into steaming beef broth and you’ve got a bowl of pure comfort that’s been warming German families since long before anyone wrote it down.
Kitchen Tips
- Keep the water at a bare simmer with just a few lazy bubbles; a rolling boil will break the dumplings apart
- Wet your hands before shaping to keep the mixture from sticking
- Add breadcrumbs gradually until the mixture holds its shape but still feels soft and pliable
- A squeeze of lemon juice in the meat mixture brightens the flavor and keeps it from tasting heavy
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl, stir a little milk or cream into the ground meat.
Then add the egg, seasonings, and as much breadcrumbs as is needed to make the mixture firm but still pliable.
Form into small dumplings and cook in simmering salted water.
The dumplings must not boil. Serve in hot beef broth.
Serves 4.
From: D’SCHWAEBISCH’ KUCHE’ by Aegidius Kolb and Leonhard Lidel, Allgaeuer Zeitungsverlag, Kempten.
- (Translation/Conversion: Karin Brewer) Posted by: Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 9/92
Comments
Exactly how much is ! x Nutmeg, 1 x cream etc?