Gehaktbal (Dutch Meatball)

Gehaktbal - The almighty Dutch Meatball. It's the most popular dish in Holland. It's so important to the Dutch that they have a designated day for their meatballs. Every Wednesday is 'Gehaktbal Dag' (Meatball Day). All butchers sell minced meat at discounted prices and you can smell the meatballs simmering in the pots of every Dutch household in the evening.

The Gehaktbal (Dutch meatball) may not be as famous as Köttbullar (Swedish meatball), thanks to Ikea but wait a second and take a look at the below picture:
Haha... who is feeling inferior now? Each Dutch meatball weighs around 100 g. Yes, it's mighty huge!

There is nothing in particular special about Dutch meatball except for these two Dutch ingredients: Rusks Toast and Gehakt Spice Mix (coriander, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, cardamon, chili and marjoram).

If you can't source both of the ingredients locally, you can always replace the rusks toast with breadcrumbs and gehakt spice mix with coriander, pepper, ginger, nutmeg, cardamon, chili and marjoram (but you will face the impossible challenge of getting the mix right!).

This page from the DutchLink will be able to help you to source the ingredients needed to make your own Gehaktbal: Where to buy Dutch food in Sydney.

Every Dutch household has its own meatball recipe. Mr J's mum has passed on hers to me hoping I will be able to keep my Dutch husband (which is her son, BTW) for the long haul :p

Gehaktbal (Dutch Meatball) Recipe
Makes 10

Ingredients

500 g beef mince
500 g pork mince
1/8 cup milk
2 eggs
6 tsp gehakt spices (can be replaced with sweet paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper)
4 rusks toasts (can be replaced with 4 tbsp breadcrumbs)
100 g butter

Method

1. Mix minced beef and minced pork in a large bowl.
2. Add milk, egg, gehakt spices and rucks toast and use hands to mix well.
3. Divide mixture into 10 equal portions.
4. Roll each portion into a ball.
   
   

   

5. Heat up a large frying pan with butter until butter is melted and bubbling.
   
   

   

6. Add meatball in the pan in single layer and fry until they are browned on all sides.
   
   

   

7. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
8. Cover the pan with lid and reduce heat and simmer the meatballs for 1/2 hour or until all meatballs are cooked in the centre.
9. Remove the meatballs on serving plates (1-2 meatballs per person).
10. Increase the heat and boil the remaining jus in the pan until it's slightly thicken and adjust seasoning. (Note: Add cream if you prefer to have creamy thick gravy.)
11. Serve the meatballs with jus, potatoes and green vegetables.