Meat can make fondue more flavorful and filling.
Traditional fondue calls for dipping breads and cheeses in sauce, but like many recipes, adding some meat can make the dish heartier. In most cases you can dip chicken, beef and fish just like a piece of bread or cheese, but you can also try some mixes to enhance the flavor of whatever meat you choose.
Choose Your Meat
A variety of cuts of meat is good for entertaining guests.
Any cut of meat will work for fondue as long as it will stay on the skewer. You could make your own meatballs with sausage or ground beef. Pieces of steak are perfect for dipping and your guests will appreciate it. If you're not sure about what you want, go for variety and provide various cuts of beef, pork, fish, chicken and other poultry. Just make sure everything is cooked thoroughly before dipping.
Oil Sauces
Simple oil sauces make good fondue dips.
The most common type of fondue sauces are oil based. You can fill your dipping pot with plain olive oil or sesame oil, but you may want to spice up the dip with any number of spices. Use ginger, soy sauce and brown sugar for a teriyaki flavor, or Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs for a more savory experience. Experiment with spices and oils to see what works. The key is to match spices and oils to the meat's natural flavor.
Cheese Sauces
Some types of cheese are easier to melt than others.
To melt cheese properly for a fondue sauce it's important to distinguish between types of cheeses. Some cheeses, like mozzarella or provolone, turn stringy when they melt and aren't ideal for fondue. Other cheeses, like ricotta and feta, hardly melt at all. Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda are a few examples of cheeses that melt well and work well with fondue. To make a cheese sauce even smother, add some sour cream, milk, and cream cheese to thin out the mixture. As with oil sauces, you can also add some spices to bring out the meat's flavor. Some hot sauce or chili powder can also give the cheese a little kick.
Other Ideas
Chocolate sauce can complement meat surprisingly well.
Making a gravy with the juices from the meat will bring out the flavor of whatever you are dipping. Using broth from ground beef or sausage and mixing in a little flour and milk, you can create a hearty gravy. If you want to take some risks you could also create a sweet sauce with chocolate syrup, melted chocolate bars, or honey. You'd be surprised at how well chocolate sauce can complement meat.
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