Zondagse Soep met Balletjes (Sunday soup with meatballs)

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Ingredients

• 450g bone in beef shank
• 2½ litres water (for blanching beef shank, optional step)
• 2½ litres chicken stock (1 chicken stock cube or teaspoon of chicken stock powder added to water can be used)
• 2 Carrots (medium dice)
• 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
• ½ Celery (medium dice)
• ½ Leek (medium dice)
• 3 Bay leaves
• 3 Cloves
• 3 Cloves garlic (fine mince)
• 10 peppercorns
• Fresh thyme (a few sprigs)
• 150g cut vermicelli pasta.
• Parsley (a small handful, leaves and stems)
• Parsley leaves (chopped, garnish, as required)
• Black pepper (as required)
• Salt (as required)
• Soy sauce (optional, as required, mainly for saltiness)
For meatballs (Makes about 21 at 10g each)
• 200g minced beef
• 1 Tablespoon breadcrumbs
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Scanty ½ teaspoon of salt
• Less than ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

1. Put beef shank in a large put and cover with water, bring to a boil and boil until impurities float on top.
2. Remove beef shank and rinse it. Return beef shank to a clean large pot and pour enough chicken stock to completely cover it. Add onions, bay leaves, cloves, garlic, fresh thyme, stalks of parsely and peppercorns.
3. Bring the beef shank up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, completely cover the pot. Use aluminium foil other pot cover if required to trap steam. Cook for about 90 minutes or until beef is cooked and falling off the bone.
4. Make meatballs by combining all the ingredients and shaping. I like to weigh meatballs to ensure they cook consistently, if you have 20-21 balls looking relatively close in size its good. Return meatballs to the fridge until beef shank is cooked.
5. When the beef is cooked, take it out of the soup, strain the liquid with a strainer and return liquid to pot.
6. Bring stock back up to a boil and add carrots, celery, leek and meatballs. Add the vermicelli about 5 minutes later and cook for 3 minutes.
7. Season with salt, pepper and soy sauce (if using), shred the beef shanks and return to soup. The soup is ready to enjoy.