I have always loved Swedish meatballs, but until this weekend I had never made them. I was feeling adventurous and thought why not. I did some research online and in my cookbook collection, trying to find a recipe. Nearly all the recipes I came across were pretty much the same, so I took several ideas I liked and combined them. They turned out great! I served mine with some buttered egg noodles, but they would be just as good with mashed potatoes or rice. Here's how I did them:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
(you could also use 2 pounds of either one)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp. allspice
a pinch of red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
Beat all of this together until very well blended and smooth. It will be very moist, but not runny. Chill about an hour, then take a heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture and form into a ball. Flatten slightly on either side. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. butter with 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet. Fry the meatballs until well browned on either side and remove from the pan onto a plate. Repeat until all have been fried. Pour off the fat from the pan, leaving as many of the browned bits in the bottom of the pan as possible. Return 4 tbsps. of the fat to the pan, then add 1/4 cup of flour to the fat and cook about a minute. Whisk in 3 cups of broth and cook until thickened and smooth. Finally, add 1 cup of either sweet or sour cream and blend well. Return the meatballs to the pan and heat through. Enjoy!
