Swedish meatballs, stars of 1960s-era cocktail parties and IKEA shopping trips, are, on the surface, pretty simple: a mix of pork and beef that's lightly spiced and served with a rich gravy. Getting them just right, though, requires some fine-tuning and tinkering. Here's our ultimate version, as good on a plate with buttery potatoes and lingonberry jam as they are speared on a toothpick.
Notes
Yield: Makes 40 - 50 meatballs, servings 4 to 6 as a main course or 10 - 12 as an appetizer
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 3 ounces fresh white bread - crusts removed, bread cut into ½-inch pieces, about 1¾ unpacked cups
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion - minced or grated, divided, see notes
- 20 ounces ground beef chuck - about 20% fat, 1 pound 4 ounces, 560 grams
- 12 ounces ground pork - about 25% fat, 340 grams
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt - 18 grams, plus more for seasoning
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper - plus more for seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- Canola oil - for frying
Gravy
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups low-sodium beef stock - or chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce - 5 milliliters
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅜ cup crème fraîche - or sour cream, ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons
- salt - to taste
- white pepper - to taste
To Serve
- mashed potatoes or egg noodles
- lingonberry jam
- minced flat-leaf parsley - to garnish
Instructions
Make the meatballs
- In a medium bowl, combine bread with milk, tossing to coat.
- Let stand until bread is completely softened and most of the milk has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.
- Add half of minced onion and cook, stirring, until onion is golden and tender, about 7 minutes.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a food processor, combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked bread and any remaining milk, cooked onion, remaining raw onion, kosher salt, eggs, white pepper, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Starting on low speed and increasing to medium-high, beat mixture until ingredients are thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Form the meatballs
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dipping your hands in water as needed to prevent meatball mixture from sticking, roll roughly tablespoon-sized portions of meatball mixture into balls slightly smaller than golf-ball size.
- Transfer to a lined baking sheet.
Cook the meatballs
- Set a rack over a clean baking sheet and heat the oven to 200°F (90°C).
- Heat about ½ inch oil in a wide skillet to 350°F (177°C).
- Working in batches, lower meatballs into oil and fry, turning until well browned all over, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer browned meatballs to rack and keep warm in the oven.
Make the Gravy
- In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat until foamy.
- Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, until raw flour smell is gone, about 3 minutes.
- Whisk in beef or chicken stock and heavy cream, bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Whisk in Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and crème fraîche or sour cream.
- Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
Assemble and Serve
- Add meatballs to gravy and stir to coat.
- Simmer until meatballs are heated through, about 10 minutes.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or over egg noodles, with lingonberry jam if desired.
- Garnish with minced parsley.