A classic Swedish meatball dish served over egg noodles or as an appetizer!
Ingredients
Meatballs:
1large egg
¼cupheavy cream
1pieceof sandwich bread or ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
8ouncesground pork
¼cupgrated onion
1 ½teaspoonkosher salt
1teaspoonbrown sugar
1teaspoonbaking powder
Pinchof ground nutmeg
Pinchof ground allspice, optional
Pinchof black pepper
8ouncesground beef, 85-90% lean
2cupsvegetable oil for frying
Egg noodles, for serving
Sauce:
1tablespoonunsalted butter
1tablespoonall-purpose flour
1 ½cupschicken stock
1tablespoonbrown sugar
½cupheavy cream
2teaspoonslemon juice
Salt and pepper
Quick Pickles (optional):
3small cucumbers, or one large one sliced into ⅛ inch rounds
1 ½cupswhite vinegar
1 ½cupssugar
1teaspoonsalt
12whole allspice berries
Instructions
If you are making the pickles:
Slice cucumbers into ⅛ inch rounds.
Add vinegar, sugar, salt, and allspice berries to a small pot and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a minute until sugar and salt are dissolved.
Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers in a small bowl and stir to separate cucumber slices. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Then uncover and let cool to room temperature as you make the meatballs. Drain and remove allspice berries before serving.
For meatballs:
Add cream, egg, and bread pieces to a small bowl and let the bread absorb the liquid.
In a bowl of a stand mixer (with paddle attachment), or just in a medium bowl, mix together ground pork with onion and spices until the mixture is well combined. Then mix in bread mixture and beat until the mixture is pale and slightly fluffy.
Finally, beat in ground beef until it is just combined.
Form meat mixture into about 30 evenly sized balls (about a tablespoon per meatball).
Heat oil in a large high-walled skillet or pan until it is roughly 350 degrees. Add meatballs and cook until they are browned on all sides and cooked through, about five minutes per side.
When meatballs are done, remove them from the pan and let them drain on a few paper towels. Pour out oil (carefully) and reduce heat to medium. Add butter and flour to pan and whisk it until it forms a light roux. Cook for a minute to cook out the flour flavor.
Slowly whisk in chicken stock and use a spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the pan as you go. The mixture should continue to thicken. Once all the stock is added, add cream and sugar and simmer until thickened, a few minutes.
Add meatballs back to pan and toss to warm them and coat them with sauce. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Serve meatballs as an appetizer with quick pickles or over egg noodles for a full meal!