Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients
For the meatballs
1 large egg
¹⁄₄ cup half and half
1 large slice white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (I use Arnold Country White.)
8 ounces ground pork
1 small onion, grated or pureed in a mini processor
¹⁄₈ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground allspice
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar, packed
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces ground beef
1 ¹⁄₄ cups vegetable oil

For the sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 ¹⁄₂ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
¹⁄₂ cup half and half
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
Table salt and ground black pepper

Instructions
1. For the meatballs: Whisk egg and half and half together in medium bowl. Stir in bread and set aside. Meanwhile, in mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat pork, onion, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder on high speed until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain; add mixture to mixer bowl and beat on high speed until smooth and homogeneous, about 1 minute, scraping bowl as necessary. Add beef and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl as necessary. Using moistened hands, form generous tablespoon of meat mixture into 1-inch round meatball; repeat with remaining mixture to form 25 to 30 meatballs. (The meat mixture will be very wet, as a result my meatballs weren’t very ball-like. They were quite lump-like.)

2. Heat oil in large straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat until edge of meatball dipped in oil sizzles, 3 to 5 minutes. Add meatballs in single layer and fry, flipping once halfway through cooking, until lightly browned all over and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking.) Using slotted spoon, transfer browned meatballs to paper towel-lined plate.

3. For the sauce: Pour off and discard oil in pan, leaving any browned bits (fond) behind. Return pan to medium-high heat and add butter. When foaming subsides, add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is light brown, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add brown sugar and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in half and half and return to simmer.

4. Add meatballs to sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Note: Serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes, boiled red potatoes, or egg noodles. 

Comments
Once upon a time, when I was a young child, I had Swedish Meatballs at some potluck type thing and thought they were the most delicious meatballs ever.  Years passed and I had them again, and the actuality in no way lived up to my memory.  They were heavy and the sauce was goopy, and not at all tasty.  I pretty much forgot about Swedish Meatballs.  Then I found this recipe in the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual and thought “Ah-ha!  Cook’s Illustrated never steers me wrong so I should try these and maybe they’ll be as delicious as the ones I tried so very long ago!” 

Are they the same as the Swedish Meatballs of my youth?  I have no idea, I just remember that I enjoyed them, and not at all what they actually tasted like.  Regardless, this recipe was delicious and the results were great.  I opted to serve them with egg noodles but Lance tells me that potatoes would be a more traditional accompaniment.  I’ll make these again someday, so thanks Cook’s Illustrated for redeeming the Swedish Meatball.

Cook’s Illustrated 2009