Swedish Meatballs

I'm not going to be all uber-Minnesotan and talk about the ridiculous weather that inspired me to roll a cookie sheet of meatballs in the middle of July. No. I'm going to talk about meatballs and how yummy and creamy and easy and lovely and delicious and creamy and creamy they are. Inspired by this pin and based off this recipe from the blog, Damn Delicious, you'll be 25% more Swedish after eating these moist, flavorful meatballs. Swedish things are rather new to me, growing up in a German/Irish/Czech family, I was introduced to almond extract (never once! used when growing up), lefse, and kromkake through my husband's family who is Scandinavian. All things Swedish and Norwegian are an absolute joy to me! I'd like to pretend I'm actually Swedish with things like: Swedish Pancakes, or Swedish Rye Limpa Bread, or an Ikea copy-cat recipe. Am I fooling you? 

The key to the texture in this meatball is the duo of pork and beef. If you are local to Buffalo, MN you can get fantastic local meats to make these meatballs here. 

My balls. Any other prep pictures have been cut on the editing room floor, as they say, because they are a rude reminder of how fattening Swedish Meatballs are and who wants that reminder? Not me. I'd rather be reminded of their beauty on the plate. So lookey here.... 

A lot prettier than a pile of baked meatballs on a cookie sheet. I promise. To reduce the fatty-factor I baked the meatballs rather than fried them - in my mind I feel more content eating a plate full of gravy when I bake the meatballs first. Er... Let's just say this dish is comfort food at its finest, cold-weather fair that we don't eat everyday, but indulge in occasionally. Serve either over pasta, bread or a baked potato. Make sure you have a gigantic side salad to make the meal round and top the gravy sauce with loads of fresh parsley to brighten up the dish. 

Tell me... What ethic background do you come from and what are some of your traditional dishes?

Printable Recipe Here

Swedish Meatballs
recipe adapted from damndelicious.net

Meatballs
2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat
1 onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/2  cup panko crumbs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 heaping teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
10 cracks freshly ground black pepper

Gravy
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups beef broth
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Freshly chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. 

Over moderate heat, melt the bacon fat in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent around the edges, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. 

Meanwhile, add the remaining meatball ingredients into a large bowl. Add the onion when cool. Stir very gently, using your hands, until throughly combined. Don't over mix if you want your meatballs to be tender and juicy!

Using your hands, roll tablespoon measurements of the meat mixture into balls and place unto your prepared baking sheet, leaving a 1/2" or so in-between meatballs. 

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through in the center. Remove from oven and set aside. 

Prepare the gravy. In the pan that you sautéed the onions in, melt the butter. Add in the flour and allow to brown slightly, stirring almost constantly with a whisk. Slowly pour in the beef broth, whisking out any clumps. Stir in the sour cream and season with pepper. Serve alongside the meatballs. Alternately, place the meatballs into a 13x9, pour the gravy over and keep warm at 250ºF until ready to serve. Garnish with Italian parsley. Serve with pasta.