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Swedish meatballs (Köttbullar)

Meatballs are very popular in Sweden – I have been living in Jönköping only for two weeks and I have already eaten meatballs for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner (twice). But I already understand why everybody loves them – they are delicious, filling and you can eat them with anything you like. I served them with big salad and boiled potatoes. Yum.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

Meatballs

– 1 big yellow onion (finely chopped – or grated)
– 15g butter
– 100 ml milk
– 70-80g bread crumbs (I use gluten-free and it works perfect)
– 1 large organic egg
– 200g minced pork
– 300g minced beef
– 1tsp salt
– black pepper and nutmeg

Sauce

– 40g butter
– 3-4 spoons of organic corn flour
– 1/2 l of beef stock
(salt, if needed)

When making meatballs you can use double the amount of ingredients and freeze half of the mixture for the next time. It is an amazing time saver for future cooking.

 

Method:

1. In a big flat pan melt butter (15g) on a medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute it for couple of minutes, until soft. Set aside and let cool.
2. Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl and pour milk in as well. Stir slowly until thick and smooth mixture is created.
3. Add salt, spices, egg, mince and sauted onions. Stir well – I think using your hands is the best way how to combine everything together nicely.
4. Using your hands form the meatballs that are about 3cm thick. Place them in a baking tray or a big plate.

5. Using the same pan as before (in first step), melt butter (40g) on a medium heat. When the butter is foamy start adding meatballs in the pan. Dont put too many meatballs in the pan at one time so you can easily (and gently) turn them and brown them on all sides. Once the matballs are nicely browned you can take them out and put in a new batch. Meatballs do not have to be cooked through as they will be finished later on with sauce.
6. Once all meatballs are done you can prepare the sauce. I used the remaining butter from browning meatballs – however if your one has become burnt remove it from the pan and start with new 40g of butter (melt on a medium heat in a pan).
7. Slowly whisk corn flour into the foamy butter and stir until light brown, smooth mixture creates.
8. Using a ladle, slowly start adding stock into the pan, stir constantly until all stock is added and the sauce has smooth, silk consistency.  Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and lower the heat to very low. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes.

In Sweden, Köttbullar are served with sour cream, lingonberry jam (can be substituted with cranberries) and freshly chopped parsley.

Inspired by Simplyrecipes

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