A good friend recently asked me if I could put together a few ideas for finger foods that she could easily serve up to guests, but men in particular, as she lives with a few hockey/football loving males who spend a lot of time glued to their TV sets in the early fall watching Sunday sports. Boy, can I relate. Fortunately, around the same time, Canadian Beef asked me to put together a blog post, as part of their blogger program, and my challenge was to create a dish that combined beef and eggs.
Fortunately, I had feeding boys on the brain, and I don't know many who would turn their noses up to beef or eggs, but what about the two combined? It seemed almost too easy to make a burger topped with a fried egg, or a stir-fry that made use of a steak and egg combination, but Scotch eggs fit the bill on all fronts. I could swap the traditional sausage meat for Canadian ground beef, and my girlfriend would get her meaty man-food.
Are you familiar with Scotch eggs? They've been trying to make a comeback for a few years now, and while I'm not sure they've been successful, I do think they're worth knowing how to make. They can be prepared up to a day in advance, and fried up just before serving. When sliced in half they make the perfect hand-held snack or party appetizer, which works well for the men who need to keep their iron grip on that TV remote.
Beefed Up Scotch Eggs
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 6 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt and a few grinds of fresh ground pepper and mix well with your hands. Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts and shape them into small balls.
2. Place a ball on your work surface and press it out flat with a rolling pan. Lay a hard-boiled egg on top of the meat mixture and roll it up, completely covering the egg with the meat mixture. Repeat with the remaining eggs and beef.
3. Place the flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Dredge the meat in the flour, roll it around in the egg and cover it with the breadcrumbs, ensuring the entire surface is evenly coated. Place the eggs on a plate and store in the fridge until ready to cook.
4. Heat 2-3" of oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook on all four "sides" until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 8-10 minutes total. Transfer the cooked Scotch eggs to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil. Serve warm.
Do you want to learn more about Canadian beef? Follow them on Twitter and check out the PDF resources available here, which include booklets like "Fresh Beef Packaging Guide" and "Cook! With Canadian Beef" a collection of recipes perfect for the family table.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Canadian Beef. I was compensated for writing this post, however, the opinions and recipe are 100% my own.
