Tender Swedish Meatballs
A glorious version of the sublime Swedish Meatball!
Who was the first to have the inspiration of grinding up meat and forming it into a ball? Was it created as a sports object with the thought that it might make a ball to be tossed about in athletic play, at least once cooked - (and unfortunately some of those prepared for eating could stand in as such.) And did one hit someone smack in the mouth where it was determined that it might serve better as something to eat than as a sporting implement? An unlikely story of origin. We only know meatballs have been around for ages.
Chinese versions date back, at least in recorded form, to the Qin dynasty of the 200 B.C.s and the ancient Roman cookbook, Apicius, included many meatball-type recipes. Meatball recipes also appear in some of the earliest known Persian cookbooks which generally feature seasoned lamb rolled into orange-sized balls and glazed with egg yolk and sometimes saffron. This method was taken to the West and is referred to as gilding. Many regional variations exist, notable among them the unusually large kufte Tabrīzī, from Iran's North-Western region, with an average diameter of 8 inches! However they came about, meatballs are as ubiquitous as bread with varieties native to almost every country on the planet. A competition of who makes the best, would be pointless because as with myself, you have probably never met a meatball you didn’t like!
Favorites of mine have included large spicy Italian meatballs sitting on beds of pasta enrobed with rich tomato sauces, the Jordanian kefta wa batata (elsewhere on this site) seasoned abundantly with garlic and parsley, appetizer spicy meatballs served in piquant barbecue sauce, the tiny pork meatballs swimming in Italian wedding soups, the super tiny meatballs enfolded in a thin pasta to create the Turkish Manti….and of course Swedish meatballs, a mixture of ground pork and beef enrobed in a creamy sauce spiked subtly with nutmeg. Ikea certainly was eager to share this version with the world and lures many otherwise not-interested-in-furniture shoppers into their stores.
Below is one of my versions, because I seldom make the exact same meatball twice and experiment by adding various cheeses, bacon, mushrooms, peppers, chiles, etc to the meat mixture, but I do enjoy the tenderness of this version, tenderized by the addition of the soft breadcrumbs and moisture to the mix. And the technique - gentle handling and cooking - is essential to create tender meatballs in a subtly rich cream sauce. This is one of our favorites, but yes, even on occasion, when I have been harried or negligent in their cooking, they may have stood in for at least a couple of rounds of batting practice!
Tender Swedish meatballs
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
½ cup finely minced or grated white onion
3/4 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 large eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
For the sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups rich chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
paprika
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, minced onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder, eggs, and heavy cream. Using your hands, combine ingredients completely until thoroughly mixed. Add 1 tablespoon cold water to add a bit more moisture to the mix then using your hands, gently combine ingredients until completely mixed.
Roll mixture into 1 - 1 1/2 -inch sized meatballs, packing tightly then set aside until all the mixture is used.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat until shimmery. Add meatballs in a single layer without crowding them. Cook several minutes until browned on one side then turn to cook evenly on other sides. Rotate the meatballs to cook evenly on all sides.(Meatballs should not be cooked through but just browned on most sides. They will continue to cook in the sauce until cooked through.) Once browned, remove meatballs onto a serving plate, and continue cooking other meatballs until they are all browned.
Pour off all but about 1-2 tablespoons of the drippings from the skillet and add butter. Using a whisk, melt butter with the drippings in the pan. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk over medium heat for about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Turn heat down to low and add the cream and continue to simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the sour cream then add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer until meatballs are heated through, stirring gently - about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and paprika to garnish. Serve with buttered egg noodles or rice.
Makes about 60 meatballs. Serves 8 - 10
Mix meatball ingredients together gently, using your hands.
Gently form mixture into balls and fry in hot skillet until lightly browned.
Brown meatballs in skillet.
Make a roux of butter and flour and whisk for about 1 minute.
Add meatballs to sauce and simmer lightly for about 5 minutes.
Tender succulent Swedish meatballs served in a subtle sauce.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**Make fresh breadcrumbs by placing a slice of white or wholewheat bread in a blender or food processor and pulse to small crumbs.
**When adding dairy products to hot mixtures, such as the cream and sour cream in this recipe, allow the dairy products to come to room temperature before adding. Or place the measured dairy products in the microwave for about 45 seconds before adding. This will keep them from curdling when added to the hot ingredients.
**When using bouillon rather than stock in recipes, I prefer using “Better than Bouillon” which comes as a loose paste in a jar. It has a more natural, richer flavor than cubes or powders.
