Swedish Meatballs

prepared by and photo by Emily S. Downs

I think I found THE Swedish Meatball.

Size: serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (use canned)
2 1/3 cups low-salt beef stock, divided
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 cup minced onion
2 thick slices bacon, minced
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. ground pork
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sour cream, whisked
wide egg noodles (follow package cooking instructions)

Directions:

Mix breadcrumbs and 1/3 cup stock in a small bowl.  Set aside. Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until browned, about 10 minutes.  Transfer onion to a large bowl.

Wipe out pan and return to medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to bowl with onion.  (Reserve bacon fat.)  Add next 8 ingredients to bowl with onion mixture, mixing with your hands to blend.  Fold in breadcrumb mixture.  Using a 1 tbsp measure, roll meat mixture into balls; transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.

Melt 1 tsp butter with reserved bacon fat in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat.  Working in 2-3 batches and adding 1 tbsp butter between batches (if necessary), brown meatballs on all sides, about 6-8 minutes per batch.  Transfer meatballs to plate.  Drain all but 2 tbsp drippings from pot.  Whisk in flour until smooth pasted forms.  Stir in 2 cups stock; bring to a simmer, whisking often.  Return meatballs to pot.  Cover; simmer until meatballs are cooked, 5-6 minutes.  Remove from heat, fold in sour cream, and stir to coat meatballs.  Serve over egg noodles.


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Author: Emily Sarah Downs

Cuisine Coordinator, Tips From Town, Ridgewood, NJ