Swedish Meatballs (Ikea copycat)

Make a berry sauce to go with it, you can just use cranberry sauce. It's really good with boiled red potatoes or mashed potatoes.

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
See this recipe on air Monday Jul. 28 at 11:00 PM ET/PT.
Show: Good Eats
Episode: Great Balls of Meat

2 slices fresh white bread
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons clarified butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
A pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 pound ground chuck
3/4 pound ground pork
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.

In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds.

Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees F. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven.

Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.

Swedish Meatballs Ikea
(adapted and rewritten from Ikea’s Real Swedish Book by Gourmet Guy)

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cold boiled medium Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 egg
3/4 cup water and cream (or milk) mixture
3 tablespoons unsweetened rusk flour, or dry breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
A pinch of ground allspice

Cook the onion until golden in 2 tablespoons of lightly browned butter.
Mash the potatoes and moisten the rusk flour or crumbs in a little water.
Mix all the ingredients until well blended, and season generously with salt, white pepper, and a little ground allspice. Shape the mixture into golfball-sized balls and transfer to a floured sheet of waxed paper. Fry the meatballs slowly in plenty of butter.

Cream Sauce

1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup cream
Low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon white flour
Freshly ground white pepper

Bring the beef stock to a boil. Add the cream and soy sauce to taste, and thicken with flour. Season with white pepper. Serve the meatballs with the sauce, freshly boiled small potatoes, and lingonberry jam.

Yield: 2 servings