When we lived in Minnesota, there were two places that offered some of the best Swedish meatballs ever. Sadly, both Aquavit and the Grill Room at Macy’s have been long closed but I was able to secure elements of those recipes before they disappeared.
I took those elements, experimented a bit with some Kentucky meatball recipes and came up with a combination that we think is as good as you can find for classic Swedish Meatballs. Enjoy.
”SwedishMeatballs”
Meatballs
1/2 Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium Yellow Onion Finely Chopped
1/2 Pound Ground Sirloin
1/2 Pounds Ground Veal
1/2 Pound Ground Pork
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Large Egg
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Allspice
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter for frying meatballs
Sauce
1/4 Cup Flour
1 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Cherry or Lingonberry Preserves
2 Tablespoons Sweet Gerkin Pickle Juice
Directions
- Combine bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of heavy cream, and set them aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet, add onion and sauté for near 5 minutes until soft, and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine all other meatball ingredients, mix with hands.
- Add the cream mixture and onions, and mix again.
- With wet hands shape meatballs into 1 inch rounds and set on a wet plate.
- Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet, add meatballs and turn the meatballs frequently until browned on all sides.
- Put meatballs on a plate and keep them warm.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet and add flour, whisking it into a roux.
- Add the sauce ingredients and whisk well until the sauce is warm.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the meatballs and simmer them in the sauce for 6-8 minutes until they are heated through.
- Serve them over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
