Cajun Ninja Meatball Stew with Brisket

I am going to do a meatball stew this weekend for the first time, I have made other stews just not meatball.

For the meat I had got one of those stupid cheap ($28 for 18lb) imported Albertsons briskets and cut it up for ground meat. I cut all the fat off (was a little lean IMO) and weighed it out for some 2 lb packs of 70/30 and 80/20 depending what I did with it....meatball stew with be the first with one of the 70/30 blends.

I am going to follow the Cajun Nija recipe below for the most part but I do have some opinion questions.

I have some extra Brisket fat in the freezer I was thinking about rendering down to make the 2/3 cup oil vs using veggie...anyone think thats a bad idea?

Usually for my stews I brown the meat in the pot. He does his meatballs in the oven and I have seen some just drop them in raw. I am all ears for opinions on the way you brown/cook yours.

He likes chicken stock...logic tells me it should be beef.


MEATBALL STEW

THE STEW
2/3 Cup of Oil
1 Cup All Purpose flour
2 Onions
1 Green Bell Pepper
2 sticks of Celery
1 Bunch of Green Onions
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 (32 oz) Container of Chicken Stock (**Beef Broth/Stock also works**)
4 Cups of Hot Water
1 Tbsp of Cajun or Creole Seasoning
1 Tbsp of Parsley Flakes
1 Tsp of Pepper
1 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce

THE MEATBALLS
2 lbs of Ground Beef
1/2 Tbsp of Cajun or Creole Seasoning
1 Tsp of Salt
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
Water
2 Slices of White Bread
1 Cup Plain Breadcrumbs
2 Eggs

• Start out by heating a large pot over a Low heat. Also, preheat your oven to 375°.
• Chop the onions, bell pepper, celery, green onion, garlic, and move to your fridge.
• Add the 2/3 cup of oil and 1 cup of flour to the pot.
• Begin making the roux by slowly stirring the flour and oil. This is a time consuming process. You’re going to want to stir for up to an hour or until you reach a chocolate color.
• Upon reaching a chocolate color, drop in the chopped vegetables and sauté for 20-30 minutes. Next add the 32oz container of chicken stock, a little at a time. Blend evenly.
• Add 4 Cups of hot water.
• Add the Cajun seasoning, parsley, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and stir.
• Bring to a boil, cover, lower to simmer, and let cook for 1 hour.
• At this time you will get started on the meatballs.
• In a large bowl add the 2 lbs of ground beef, cajun seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
• In a plate off to the side, add a small amount of water. Dampen the bread in the plate, tear the bread in to small pieces, and add to the bowl.
• Add the bread crumbs and eggs.
• Mix well with your hands. Roll the mixture into meatballs a little larger than the size of a golf ball, and place them on a greased pan.
• Bake them in the oven for 25-30 minuets.
• Once the meatballs are done, set aside in a strainer over a plate until the 1 hour mark is up on your stew.
• Add the meatballs to the stew gently one at a time. You can also remove the bay leaves at this point.
• Bring the stew back to a slight boil, lower to a medium/low heat. Let the stew cook for another hour UNCOVERED, or until the gravy reaches your desired consistency.