Irish Beef & Wensleydale Meatballs Traybake
Juicy Irish beef meatballs stuffed with creamy Wensleydale, roasted with beetroot and blackberries, and finished with a balsamic glaze. A comforting traybake with a gourmet twist.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 g Irish minced beef
- 100 g Wensleydale cheese cut into small cubes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 black pepper
- 2 tbsp duck fat
Vegetables & Traybake
- 400 g small beetroot peeled and cut into wedges
- 150 g fresh blackberries
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary (plus extra for garnish)
- Salt and black pepper
Sauce / Glaze
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 150 ml beef or vegetable stock (or water + stock pot)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Pour the duck fat into the tray. Heat up to sizzling before popping in the meatballs.
- Prepare meatballs: season the mince, roll the meatballs, poke a hole, stuff with the cheese, seal up and pop into the tray of hot duck fat to cook.
- Toss beetroot wedges and blackberries in 1–2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and a few rosemary leaves. Spread on the tray around the meatballs. Mix together the balsamic vinegar, stock, and mustard in a small saucepan. Heat gently until combined and slightly thickened (3–4 mins).
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through and beetroot is tender. Check with a thermometer — internal meatball temp should reach 74°C.
Finish & serve:
- Drizzle glaze over meatballs and vegetables.
- Serve straight from the tray with extra rosemary sprigs for garnish.
- Serve over mash or chop up some baby potoates and roast them in witht he meatballs and veg.
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