Minced meat tip

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 kg minced meat, seasoned
• 1 large onion(s), finely chopped
• 6 bay leaves
• 6 allspice berries
• 2 liters of water
• Vegetable stock powder
• salt and pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• olive oil
• some ketchup
• Sauce thickener or cornstarch
• possibly pickled gherkins

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Sear the minced meat in a little olive oil, breaking it up and frying until crumbly. While you’re at it, I prepare 1 liter of water with a little vegetable stock, but only if the minced meat isn’t overly seasoned. Once it’s well-cooked, add the onion and fry. If the minced meat starts to stick to the bottom of the pot or casserole, add a little of the water or vegetable stock to loosen the sediment. Allow the liquid to reduce until a sediment forms at the bottom again. Then pour in the water again. Repeat this process 4-5 times. This creates the brown sauce and the minced meat turns nice and brown. When the minced meat is nice and brown and the sediment at the bottom of the pot has been loosened by the added water, add the remaining liter of water or vegetable stock. The minced meat should be well covered. Now put the bay leaves and allspice in a tea infuser, add it to the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes over low heat. Cooking in a tea infuser saves you from having to search for or possibly forget the spices. Optionally, you can add a gherkin for the last five minutes for anyone who likes it. After the cooking time, add 1-2 spoons of ketchup—but it’s not necessary; I remember my mom doing it that way. Then season with salt, pepper, and a little cayenne pepper. Once it’s well-seasoned, simply thicken or thicken with a sauce thickener or cornstarch. We usually serve it with homemade mashed potatoes.