Help me improve my Swedish meatballs

Cafe Society
1

Last night I decided to use up some frozen ground pork, and determined to make meatballs of the Swedish variety, because I’ve had them before, and they’re nice. And I’m on a low carb diet at the moment.

So I put together the following ingredients from various sources:

1 lb ground pork
1 onion (browned in olive oil)
1 large sprig chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp Maldon sea salt
2 oz finely grated parmigiano
1 egg

Sounds good!

Mashed and beat all ingredients together well, then rolled 'em up into balls and roasted them in the oven for 20 minutes, then served them with a thickened, smoked garlic passata.

And they taste of… nothing. Pork, I guess.

What on earth went wrong? What could have stripped out the tastes of all the herbs and spices I put into them? Anyone got a family recipe that they can reveal? Should I have used bacon salt?

2

Your basic recipe looks similar to the one I use for Italian meatballs, except that it’s missing some water. If I remember correctly, it’s 1/2 cup of water for 1 lb of meat. I’m not sure if that would make much of a difference though.

3

Instead of ground pork, substitute with ground Swedes.

4

My family loves mine, and I make them with ground turkey. We don’t like them terribly spicey, though, and perhaps we’d like yours just fine.

But if you’re interested –

Ellen’s Meatballs

1 pound ground turkey
1 egg
Approx 1/2 c. fine bread crumbs
Onion salt
garlic powder
1 tablesp. beef buillion granules
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle pepper
black pepper
sea salt

Mix all ingredients well. Heat olive oil in skillet. Form meat into balls. Cook on medium to low heat, turn when brown.

If the rest of the dinner isn’t ready when the meatballs are, I throw a little chicken stock into the skillet and put the lid on. This keeps them nice and moist.

We eat them with angel hair pasta and Barilla marinara sauce.

I don’t really measure when I cook stuff like this, so these amounts are approximate.

5

I think the bouillon might be a very good idea, Ms Cherry. And cooking in a skillet too, not the oven.

The water might help release the herb flavors too, Phantom Dennis, though I can’t help thinking it might make them a bit sloppy.

6

Try mixing your pork (1/4) with ground beef (3/4) (not extra lean). Also, mix and roll gently. Ground meat turns in to concrete or mush if it’s worked too much. I make some killer meatballs, but am at work, so can’t send it to you.

7

Just like most things AB makes, these are the best Swedish Meatballs I’ve ever had. I didn’t bother clarifying butter, but if you really want to, I suppose that it’d be OK.

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005
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.

8

So, since we just call them “meatballs” here, what’s the difference between Swedish meatballs and other meatballs?

9

Swedish meatballs are generally smaller than the Italian variety. The major differences are the spices and the sauce. Swedish meatballs are usually spiced as in Alton’s recipe–nutmeg, allspice, more of the sweet spices. Italian meatballs are made with oregano and other more savory flavors.

Swedish meatballs are traditionally served in a cream sauce rather than tomato sauce.

Speaking of which, my mom used to make the best Swedish meatballs. The recipe was pretty much like AB’s, with one twist–a tablespoon of instant coffee granules stirred into the sauce during cooking. Keeps you awake so you can eat more! :smiley:

10

This recipe is for larger meatballs, but you can make them smaller. Cook these into a batch of homemade marinara sauce and enjoy. Next day, slice up a few, place on Italian rolls with some sauce, top with provolone and broil you up a dynamite sammich.

Italian Meatballs
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil.

  1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except olive oil by hand, using a light touch. Take a portion of meat in hand, and roll between palms to form a ball that is firmly packed but not compressed. Repeat, making each meatball about 2 inches in diameter.
  2. In a large, heavy pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add meatballs in batches. Do not crowd. Brown well on bottoms before turning, or meatballs will break apart. Continue cooking until browned all over. Remove meatballs to a plate as each batch is finished. Let meatballs cool slightly; cover and refrigerate until needed.
11

Next time add three parts børk!.

12

I’m making some even as we speak - I found two recipes on Allrecipes that the reviews say to combine, but the sauce is from the one that uses, I’m so ashamed, two different condensed soups. !!! Totally unlike me. Hope it’s awesome.