If you liked our Death or Glory meat loaf recipe then you will love this. Serve with fluffy mash and green vegetables for a hearty supper. If serving at a dinner party you can make the day before and reheat and it becomes even better. Best made with not too bitter copper coloured ale such as Ridgeway Bitter.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

600 g lean beef mince
200 g sausage meat
2 medium onions, one finely chopped and the other sliced thinly.
Generous handful of fresh breadcrumbs
1 large egg
Beef stock cube
Plain flour
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbs. olive oil
2 bay leaves
Dash of Worcester sauce
2 tbs. tomato ketchup
500 ml real ale
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large mixing bowl combine the mince, sausage meat, chopped onion, breadcrumbs and egg. Season generously (especially with the black pepper) and then get your hand stuck in. Mix thoroughly before shaping into golf ball sized balls and rolling in flour.

In a heavy based casserole dish, heat the oil and brown the meatballs in two or three batches before placing to one side. Add the finely sliced onions to the casserole dish and gently fry for 5 minutes until they take on some colour. Now add the beer and deglaze the casserole dish by scraping all the good bits off the bottom. Add the Worcester sauce, thyme, bay leaves and ketchup and season. Remember you have already seasoned the meatballs, so don’t go mad as you can always adjust at the end of cooking. Bring to the boil and crumble in the stock cube before adding back the meatballs. Place on a tightly fitting lid and put the dish in an oven at 180oC for 45 minutes before removing the lid and cooking for a further 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven. If the gravy is too thin, thicken with a little flour and water. Rest the dish for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with mash and vegetables or simply with some freshly baked bread to dip into the rich gravy.