Belgian Meatballs in Liège Syrup Sauce

Name: Belgian Meatballs in Liège Syrup Sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Belgium
Ingredients: 11 oz ground beef; 11 oz ground pork; 1 onion; 1 clove garlic; 1 egg; ¼ cup breadcrumbs; 1 tbsp mustard; 1 tbsp parsley; Pinch salt; Pinch pepper; Splash oil; 2 onions; 1 tbsp butter; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar; 2 tbsp mustard; ¼ cup sirop de lige; 1 cup beef stock; 1 bay leaf; Splash beer

A weekend Belgium dinner made with beef. Ready in about 55 minutes. Difficulty: more effort.

25 minPrep (about)
30 minCook (about)
55 minTotal time
4Servings
More effortDifficulty

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Ingredients

How many people?

− 14 people +

Changed from 4 to 14 people · Back to 4

Main ingredient

2.3 lb ground beef Shopping tip: Ground beef (UK: minced beef). 80/20 or 85/15.

Fresh & other

2.3 lb ground pork Shopping tip: Ground pork (UK: pork mince).
4 onions
4 cloves garlic
4 eggs
¾ cup + 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
7 onions
3 ½ tbsp butter
3 ½ tbsp brown sugar
¾ cup + 2 tbsp sirop de lige
3 ½ cups beef stock Shopping tip: Beef broth (carton or can), or a beef bouillon cube in hot water.
Splash beer

Sauces & oils

3 ½ tbsp mustard
Splash oil Shopping tip: Vegetable or olive oil.
⅓ cup + 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
⅓ cup + 2 tbsp mustard

Spices & seasonings (4): parsley, salt, pepper, bay leaves

3 ½ tbsp parsley Shopping tip: Fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley. Curly works too.
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
4 bay leaves

How to make it

Steps in our own plain words.

Make the meatballs.
1) Mix the minced meat with pepper, salt, parsley, mustard, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic and the onion.
2) Shape into meatballs.
Traditionally, Liège restaurants dish up **one or two very big meatballs**, depending on appetite, 3).
Keep going for weeknight cooking, I mine smaller so they brown faster.
Cook through quickly.
Brown the meatballs.
4) Heat butter or oil in a big pan.
5) Brown the meatballs on every side until they have a nice crust.
6) Remove them from the pan.
Set aside.
Start the sauce.
7) In same pan, melt 3 ½ tbsp butter.
8) Add the sliced onions.
Cook until soft and lightly caramelised.
9) Sprinkle in the brown sugar.
Let it melt into the onions, deglaze.
Add the stock.
10) Add your vinegar and scrape up all the brown bits from the pan.
11) Mix in the mustard and Liège syrup.
12) Pour in the beef stock.
13) Add the bay leaf.
14) Mix till your syrup dissolves and the sauce looks glossy.
Simmer and adjust.
15) Return the meatballs to the pan.
16) Cover.
Simmer for 25–30 minutes.
Stir every so often.
Let the sauce thicken naturally.
17) Taste plus adjust: more syrup.
Keep going for sweetness, more vinegar.
Keep going for tang, more mustard for depth.
The sauce should be sweet‑velvety, rich and sour.
18) Serve with fries or mashed potatoes.