Why You’ll Love This

That’s right, everything I learned about Swedish cuisine I learned on the Muppets.

And while I really enjoyed the chef on there, you have to admit the recipe instructions were not that clear.

So I kind of had to figure this recipe out for myself.

Of course, I also did like 15, 20 minutes of extensive research online. And this is what I came up with.

I mean, the reason you’re adding the pork is for that extra fat, that extra richness, that extra juiciness.

Now traditionally, these are fried in a pan on the stove. And then you make the sauce in that pan. That makes a huge mess. So I do it in the oven.

Ingredients

• a little bit of butter
• a half of a finely chopped onion
• a little pinch of salt

For the meatball mixture:

• some milk
• two large eggs
• some plain breadcrumbs
• some freshly ground nutmeg
• some allspice
• some freshly ground black pepper
• salt
• a little bit of cayenne
• half beef
• half pork

For the sauce:

• some more butter
• some white all-purpose flour
• our beef stock or beef broth
• a splash of cream
• a little bit of black pepper
• a little bit of salt
• sugar
• a few drops of Worcestershire sauce

For cooking:

• a little bit of oil

Instructions

1. Start with a large skillet on medium heat with a little bit of butter in there.
2. Add a half of a finely chopped onion with a little pinch of salt.
3. Sweat that for about six, seven minutes, just until they turn translucent.
4. Dump the onions into a metal bowl.
5. Pour in some milk, two large eggs, and some plain breadcrumbs.
6. Give that a mix.
7. Start adding our spices and seasonings.
8. Go with some freshly ground nutmeg, some allspice, some freshly ground black pepper, and salt.
9. Give that a mix.
10. Add a little bit of cayenne.
11. Add half beef and half pork.
12. Mix that up.
13. Cover that with plastic and refrigerate that for at least an hour before we start forming our meatballs.
14. Go back to that same pan we did the onions in.
15. Melt some more butter.
16. Toss in some white all-purpose flour.
17. Over medium heat, stir that flour into that butter.
18. Cook that for about four or five minutes until it looks something like that.
19. Whisk in our beef stock or beef broth.
20. Splash some in.
21. Whisk it in.
22. Splash a little more in.
23. Whisk it in.
24. When about half of it’s in and it looks like that, you can just dump it all.
25. Turn the heat up to medium high.
26. Add a splash of cream.
27. Whisk in the cream.
28. Over medium high heat, bring this up to a simmer.
29. Season it up with a little bit of black pepper.
30. Add a little bit of salt and sugar.
31. Add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce.
32. When that comes up to a simmer, watch it.
33. Stir it once in a while.
34. Simmer that for maybe six, seven minutes until it thickens slightly.
35. Pull your meatball mixture out of the fridge.
36. Portion these up in one ounce balls.
37. Dip your hands in some cold water.
38. Roll those nice and smooth.
39. Use a foil-lined sheet pan with a little bit of oil on it.
40. Throw that in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes until they’re browned.
41. Spatulate those into the pan.
42. Turn the heat back on to medium low.
43. Simply simmer those Swedish meatballs in that amazing, beefy, creamy sauce until it’s the perfect consistency.
44. Simmer that on medium low until it looks like that.
45. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Cooking Tips

And by the way, do not wash this pan once the onions are done. We’re going to make the sauce in this pan and eventually finish the meatballs right in the same skillet.

Please do not substitute partial spice.

So if you use pork that’s actually leaner than the beef, it doesn’t make much sense. I’m actually still a little upset about it.

We want to make sure those breadcrumbs are fully hydrated and all those flavors meld together.

You don’t have to go too long. But you do want to take the raw edge off that flour.

And we like to go a little bit slow at the beginning. So splash some in. Whisk it in. Splash a little more in. Whisk it in. And when about half of it’s in and it looks like that, you can just dump it all.

So you do not need to reduce this way down at this point.

You know I like to use my sorbet scoop for this. So they all come out the same size. But you do that any way you want. You are, of course, the boss of, well, you know.

You know we’ve done no roll meatball recipes before. But here with the Swedish meatball, they generally are formed into nice smooth balls. So that’s what we’re going to do.

All right, not too thick, not too thin. You know how I like it. Perfect.

Of course, as they say in Sweden, please taste and adjust for seasoning.

And that’s coming from someone that’s made this, you know, like once. So I hope you give them a try. And as always, enjoy.