Best Cooks Illustrated Swedish Meatballs Recipes

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up and place an ovenproof baking/cooling rack over top; spray the rack very generously with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk the eggs and cream together in a medium bowl. Stir in the bread and mash until no large bread chunks remain. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the pork, garlic, allspice, pepper, salt, and baking powder on high speed until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Add the bread mixture to the mixing bowl and beat on low speed until combined (so it doesn't splatter), then increase the speed to high and beat until smooth and homogeneous, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the beef and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping the bowl as necessary. Using wet hands, form the meat mixture into 1½-inch round meatballs and place on the prepared rack. (The mixture is very sticky and wet hands help; keep wetting your hands as you go). Bake for about 20 minutes, until just done.
• Note: You'll notice that the rack will leave little marks on the meatballs but they will not be too noticeable once the meatballs are covered with sauce.
• While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. (Careful not to burn; it goes from golden to burnt quickly.) Whisk in the chicken broth, getting rid of any lumps. Add the brown sugar and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking and scraping down the sides of the pan occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced, about 10 minutes. Add the cream, soy sauce and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking and scraping down the sides occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 10 minutes. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmer, turning occasionally to coat with the sauce, until heated through. Stir in the lemon juice, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
• Note: The cream sauce is a touch sweet. For a less sweet sauce, you can reduce or omit the brown sugar.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meatballs (without the sauce) can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, prepare the sauce and reheat the meatballs in the sauce until hot in the center.

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, soak bread crumbs in warm milk while you prepare the onions.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir in onions and a pinch of salt and cook until pale golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer half the onions to a large bowl and set aside.
• Prepare sauce: Add brandy to skillet with onions and ignite with a long match or igniter (or if you're using a gas stove, just swirl pan, brandy should catch fire). Let flame die down, then add the remaining butter, letting it melt. Sprinkle in flour. Sauté until flour browns, about 3 minutes. Whisk in broth, cream and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Simmer, whisking, until reduced to a sauce, about 5 minutes. Add mustard, if you like, and season with more salt, if needed.
• To large bowl with onion, add remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, soaked bread crumbs, beef, pork, eggs, garlic, pepper, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Roll into 1-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons each), placing them on one or two rimmed baking sheets as you go.
• Heat broiler. Drizzle meatballs with oil. Broil meatballs, switching pans' positions if using more than one so they both get close to the broiler, until well browned all over, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with gravy, garnished with herbs.

CHEF JOHN'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in butter until onion begins to turn translucent, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl. Add milk, eggs, bread crumbs, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and cayenne pepper to the breadcrumb mixture; stir to combine.
• Mix beef and pork into the bread crumb mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; whisk flour into butter and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk beef broth into butter mixture.
• Increase heat to medium-high, whisk cream into mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir sugar and Worcestershire sauce into gravy. Simmer until slightly thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat foil with cooking spray.
• Roll 2 to 3 tablespoons meatball mixture into a ball using wet hands; repeat with remaining meatball mixture. Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
• Transfer meatballs to the gravy and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

CLASSIC SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix the mince with the egg, onion, breadcrumbs, dill and seasoning. Form into small meatballs about the size of walnuts - you should get about 20.
• Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and brown the meatballs. You may have to do this in 2 batches. Remove from pan, melt the butter, then sprinkle over the flour and stir well. Cook for 2 mins, then slowly whisk in the stock. Keep whisking until it is a thick gravy, then return the meatballs to the pan and heat through. Sprinkle with dill and serve with cranberry jelly, greens and mash.