Vleeskroket (Dutch Beef Croquette)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy saucepan for roux
• •Deep pan or fryer with thermometer
• •Shallow dish for chilling ragout
• •Wire rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the beef

   Put the beef, stock, onion, bay leaf, and cloves in a heavy pan. Bring it just to a boil, then lower the heat and let it barely murmur for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the meat pulls apart with a fork. Lift out the beef and strain the stock. Keep 600ml of that stock for the ragout; it has done the hard work and should not be wasted.

2. 2

   Shred the meat

   Pull the beef into fine threads while it is still warm enough to handle. Chop any long strands once or twice so the filling eats cleanly inside the kroket. A good vleeskroket should be rich with meat, but it should not fight you when you bite it.

3. 3

   Make the ragout

   Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the 75g flour, and cook the roux for 3 minutes until it smells nutty but has not browned. Add the reserved stock gradually, whisking hard after each addition, until you have a very thick sauce. Squeeze the soaked gelatin sheets dry and stir them in until dissolved, then add the mustard, nutmeg, pepper, and enough salt to make the beef taste awake.

   The ragout must be thicker than dinner sauce. If it pours easily now, it will escape later in the fryer, and then the oil gets the supper.
4. 4

   Fold and chill

   Fold the shredded beef and parsley through the ragout. Spread it in a shallow dish, press parchment directly on the surface, and refrigerate until completely firm, at least 8 hours and preferably overnight. This is the slow step that buys you clean shaping and a molten centre later.

5. 5

   Shape the kroketten

   Divide the cold ragout into 12 portions. With lightly floured hands, roll each portion into a cylinder about 10cm long and 3cm wide. Keep them tidy but not precious; this is snackbar geometry, not sculpture.

6. 6

   Bread them twice

   Set out three bowls: flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs. Roll each kroket in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. For a stronger crust, pass it again through egg and breadcrumbs. Check the ends carefully, because a thin end is where the filling will try to make its escape.

7. 7

   Fry until crisp

   Heat the oil to 180C in a deep pan. Fry the kroketten in small batches for 4 to 5 minutes, turning gently, until deep golden and crisp all over. Do not crowd the pan; the oil temperature drops, the crust drinks oil, and the kroket loses its dignity.

8. 8

   Serve with mustard

   Drain on a rack or paper towels and let them stand for 2 minutes before serving. The inside will be very hot and loose, exactly as it should be. Serve with mustard, soft white bread if you want a broodje kroket, and no unnecessary garnish.

Chef Tips

• •Use beef with collagen, such as chuck or brisket. Lean steak gives you dry little threads; the cheaper cut gives body, flavour, and the gelatinous richness a kroket needs.
• •Chill the ragout overnight. This is not fussiness. It is the difference between a clean cylinder and a small kitchen tragedy.
• •Fine dry breadcrumbs give the classic snackbar crust. Fresh crumbs brown unevenly here and make the coating too bready.
• •Fry from cold, not room temperature. A cold kroket gives the crust time to set before the centre loosens.
• •For a broodje kroket, split a soft white roll, lay the kroket inside, and add mustard. This is lunch, apology, and civic institution in one hand.

Advance Preparation

• •The beef ragout should be made 1 day ahead and chilled overnight before shaping.
• •Breaded, unfried kroketten can be refrigerated for 24 hours or frozen on a tray, then packed airtight for up to 2 months.
• •Fry frozen kroketten straight from the freezer at 175C, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the cooking time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)