This is a real winter blast, dedicated to all beef lovers – Dutch Beef Hachée. The Hachée comes from the French word ‘hacher’, which means to mince or chop. This recipe is a Dutch production of my boyfriend, accompanied by healthy side dishes – cooked red cabbage and boiled potatoes. The beef in this recipe is so smooth that it reminds me a bit of baby food, of course, made for adults.
My first memory of this recipe goes to the early stage of my motherhood. I was still in the hospital when my boyfriend made it for me. Well, I wouldn’t exactly recommend this recipe for the early stage mothers. However, it was definitely worth it. The secret is a slow cooked beef with lots of onion, which makes it a perfect winter meal. The beef is accompanied by the sweetness of a red cabbage, so easy and stunning at the same time. The advantage of it, as with any other stews is, that you can make a huge pot of it and impress many people or even freeze it for later. Eet smakelijk!
Total Time: 4 hours
Shopping List
The Beef Hachée:
500g of shank beef, cleaned and drained, in chunks
500g of onion, peeled and sliced
A knob of a lard (butter optional)
3 bay leaves
12 cloves
Sea salt and ground pepper
3 black peppers
A splash of vinegar
1 tablespoon of caster sugar
1/2 litre of good strong stock
The Red Cabbage:
A knob of a lard
A quarter of onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ red cabbage, washed, cleaned and finely chopped
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 bay leaf
5 cloves
4 teaspoons of My Applesauce (apples optional)
Boiled potatoes to serve with:
6 medium potatoes, peeled, washed and diced
Sea salt
A knob of butter
Instructions
The Beef Hachée
In a large deep pan melt a knob of lard on high heat.
Add the pieces of beef, season with some salt and pepper and roast until nicely golden on all sides.
Stir in the onions.
Stick the cloves into the bay leaves and add them to the pan.
Lower the heat and baste with the stock. Flavour up with 3 black peppers, vinegar and sugar.
Mix gently and let it simmer for about 3 hours on low heat. Stir occasionally and do not let it to get dry. If needed, add few more water.
Once the meat is done, prepare The Red Cabbage and Boiled Potatoes.
The Red Cabbage
In a large deep pan melt a knob of pork fat on high heat. Add onion and sauté it for about 2 minutes until it gets nicely golden.
Start adding cabbage, one layer at a time, and season well with sea salt. Continue until all cabbage is in, then, give a good stir and cover with hot boiling water.
Lower the heat to medium and add spices (1 bay leaf and 5 cloves). Cover with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes until the cabbage gets soft, but still has a crunch in it. Taste and season accordingly with the salt.
Once the cabbage is done, remove the water out and add Applesauce. Flavour it up accordingly to your taste (more salt or Applesauce). Serve warm.
Boiled potatoes
Place the potatoes in a medium deep pot.
Season with a good amount of salt and cover with cold water. Put a lid on and bring it to boil.
Then, cook for about 15 minutes until they get soft.
Next, take them out and add a knob of butter. Mix and serve warm.
Makes 4 serves.