My Recipe Collection: Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs to remind you of IKEA and Christmas

I came across this awesome recipe when I was looking for a traditional Swedish dish for my twins' birthday. By my twins, I of course meant Henrik and Daneil Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks =) Not expecting much, I was blown away by how good they were, especially since I didn't have most of the required spices! It had so much flavour that I wouldn't have believed the ingredients were as simple if I wasn't the one that made it. 

(Makes 40-50 meatballs)

Ingredients:

     Meatballs:

• 1                    yellow onion, peeled and grated (using a cheese grater)
• 2 table sp       butter
• 2/3 cup          milk
• 4-5 slices       bread with the crusts removed and cut into pieces
• 2                    eggs
• 1 lb                ground pork
• 1.5 lb             ground beef
• 2 tsp              salt
• 1 tsp              ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp              ground cardamon
• 2 tsp              black pepper

     Gravy sauce:

• 6 table sp       butter
• 1/3 cup          flour
• 4 cup             beef stock
• 2-4 table sp   lingonberry/cranberry jelly
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup sour cream
• salt

Tools:

• cheese grater
• skillet
• pot
• 1 large bowl
• 1 large plate

Procedures:

1. Saute the grated onion in the butter over Medium to High heat until the onion softens  ( ~ 3-4 minutes)
   Remove the onion from the heat, and let it cool.
2. In a large bowl, tear the bread to pieces and mix the bread and milk. Set it aside for 15-20 minutes or until bread soaks up all the milk. Pulverize the bread. 
3. Add the cooled onions and the rest of the meatball ingredients to the bowl.
   Mix well for 2 minutes with hands.
4. Using your hands, form the meatballs using about 1 table spoon of mixture for each. Set each one aside on a sheet pan or plate.
5. Heat the 6 table spoon of butter for the sauce in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add some of the meatballs into the pan without crowding it. Be gentle so they don't break apart. Brown them on all sides. Do NOT cook them all the way through. Use a spoon to remove them from the pan once they're ready. 
6. Consider the pan butter. If it looks/tastes burnt, discard the butter and replace with 6 new tablespoons  of butter. 
7. Heat the pan butter until it is hot. Slowly whisk in the flour, stirring often.
   Let the flour cook until it looks nutty brown / coffee-with-milk brown. 
8. Heat the beef stock in a separate pot until it simmers. 
9. Slowly add the hot beef stock a little at a time. It might sputter at first, but things will calm down. Keep stirring and the sauce will eventually become silky. 
10. Add the meatballs to the sauce, then turn the heat down to Low.
    Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. 
11. Take the meatballs out to a serving dish, then add the sour cream and mix well.
    Add the lingoberry jelly to the sauce or serve it on the side. 

DONE!

Extra tips:
i. The ratio of beef and pork will determine the texture of your meatballs. If you like it more meaty and firm, go with a little more beef. If you like it softer, go with slightly more pork.