Beef Croquettes

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 45 mins

1 oz - beef dripping or lard

1 small - onion

1 oz - plain flour (all purpose flour)

5 fl oz - beef stock *

8 oz - minced beef (ground beef)

- salt and pepper

1 teaspoon - freshly-chopped parsley

1 teaspoon - Worcester sauce

2 oz - dried breadcrumbs

2 - eggs

- oil for deep fat frying

Melt the fat in a frying pan and gently cook the minced beef, stirring from time to time, until it becomes light brown. Remove the mince from the pan with a slotted spoon and put to one side. Peel and finely chop the onion and cook it gently in the meat juices in the same pan for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Stir in the beef stock and heat to boiling, stirring all the time. Cook for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens then put the cooked meat back in the pan. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, then stir in the parsley and Worcestershire sauce, thoroughly mixing all the ingredients.
Turn the mixture onto a plate , level the surface and then cover with a second plate. Leave this to completely cool. When cool, divide into eight equal-size portions. On a lightly-floured flat surface, form each portion into a sausage shape about 1" (2.5cm) in diameter. Beat the egg and spread the dried breadcrumbs on a plate. Brush or dip each croquette into the egg mixture and roll them in the breadcrumbs to coat the outside. Lightly press the crumbs into the croquette then coat a second time.
Fry the croquettes, a few at a time, either in a deep fat fryer if you have one, or in a frying pan with plenty of oil or fat until they are crisp and browned all over. Drain them well then keep the first batches warm while cooking the rest. Serve in a bread roll, rather like a hot dog.
* If you have don't have the time or inclination to make a beef stock, you can substitute a beef stock cube dissolved in 5 fl oz (150ml - ¼pt) of hot water.