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Ghana Meatball Stew

A stew of seasoned beef meatballs simmered in tomato and onion gravy, served hot over rice.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 17 ingredients
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Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Ghana Meatball Stew

Time30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the meatballs

  1. Combine ground beef, tenderizer, lemon juice, egg, onions, salt, pepper, garlic, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.

  2. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes to allow seasonings to mingle.

  3. Form about a dozen tablespoon-size balls of the seasoned beef.

  4. Spread flour on a plate and roll each ball in flour to coat.

Brown the meatballs

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

  2. Test the oil by dropping a toothpick or breadcrumb; when it sizzles, brown all sides of the meatballs, turning with a metal spoon.

  3. Remove browned meatballs with a slotted metal spoon and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.

  4. Reserve the browned meatballs and the cooking oil.

Make the gravy and serve

  1. Return the reserved oil to a large, clean skillet and brown the remaining flour.

  2. Add onions, tomato sauce, sliced tomato, and green pepper; cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.

  3. Slowly stir in water and combine thoroughly.

  4. Add the reserved browned meatballs, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer.

  5. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the gravy is well blended.

  6. Serve hot over rice.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1035Calories
50 gProtein
37 gFat
124 gCarbs

Counts 12 of 13 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Beef100g cooked250
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Nutmeg1 tsp ground (2.2g)12
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Meatballnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together27,047 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

  3. Lemon + nutmegtop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together11,318 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  4. Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,092 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together13,015 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ground beef
Forms the meatball body, providing the main protein structure and savory meaty flavor.
Egg
Binds the seasoned beef so the meatballs hold their shape while cooking.
All-purpose flour
Coats the meatballs and thickens the gravy as it browns in the oil.
Tomato sauce
Adds liquid, acidity and body to the gravy.
Onions
Contribute sweetness and aroma to the meatballs and the gravy.
Cooking oil
Conducts heat for browning the meatballs and carries flavor into the gravy.

The step that matters

Browning the flour in the reserved oil. Flour cooked in fat until it turns golden thickens the gravy and adds a nutty flavor. Stirring constantly prevents scorching, which would leave a bitter taste.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, lemon, egg, pepper, garlic, nutmeg, flour):

  1. Spinachfits better
  2. Chivefits better
  3. Shallotfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, lemon, egg, pepper, garlic, nutmeg, flour. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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