Hörnli mit Ghackets
The quintessential Swiss childhood classic: curved elbow macaroni (Hörnli) smothered in savoury minced beef and onions simmered with red wine and thyme, topped with grated Sbrinz cheese and served alongside homemade sweet apple sauce (Apfelmus).
Ingredients
- • 350g Swiss elbow macaroni (Hörnli)
- • 400g lean minced beef (Ghackets)
- • 1 large onion and 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- • 1 carrot, finely grated
- • 150ml dry red wine or beef stock
- • 200ml rich beef stock
- • 1 tbsp tomato purée
- • 1 tsp fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, salt and black pepper
- • 60g grated Swiss Sbrinz or Gruyère cheese
- • Sweet apple sauce (Apfelmus) for serving
Preparation Steps
Cook the Hörnli pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 7 to 8 minutes until al dente. Drain, tossing with a knob of butter to prevent sticking, and keep warm.
Heat butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the minced beef and sear vigorously for 5 minutes, breaking into fine granules until browned. Add the chopped onion, garlic, grated carrot, and tomato purée, cooking for 3 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping up the browned pan juices. Pour in the beef stock, add the thyme and bay leaf, and simmer gently over medium-low heat for 15 minutes until rich and thick.
Discard the bay leaf. Fold the warm Hörnli into the meat sauce, tossing until thoroughly coated. Spoon into deep bowls, scatter with grated Sbrinz cheese, and serve with a bowl of cool homemade apple sauce on the side.