Swedish Meatballs

By Robert Farrar Capon

Published December 14, 1982

Total Time
About 1 hour
Rating
4(123)
Comments
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Featured in: HOLIDAY FEASTING, SWEDISH STYLE

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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons minced onion

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 pound each beef, veal and pork, ground together

  • 1 tablespoon allspice

  • 1 tablespoon salt or to taste

  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • ½ teaspoon white pepper

  • 1 cup fine dry white bread crumbs

  • ½ cup beef stock

  • 2 eggs

  • Butter for sauteing

  • 1 quart beef stock, bouillon or broth

  • 4 tablespoons flour

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

8 grams carbs; 116 milligrams cholesterol; 310 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 433 milligrams sodium; 21 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Saute onion in 2 tablespoons butter until golden. Combine with all remaining ingredients except last three and mix thoroughly by hand.

  2. Step 2

    Shape into small balls and saute in batches in butter, about 4 tablespoons, until nicely browned.

  3. Step 3

    Remove to large pot, add beef stock and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.

  4. Step 4

    In morning, remove and reserve any hardened fat from top, heat meatballs until the stock melts and pour off stock.

  5. Step 5

    Make roux of 4 tablespoons reserved fat and 4 tablespoons flour, add stock and cook, stirring, till thickened. Return meatballs to sauce, heat through and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
123 user ratings
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Comments

Jeff Maloney

Labor intense and dirties up a few pans, but makes a lot of meatballs. Doubt I would go to that much trouble again, but might modify (and reduce) the recipe to make Swedish meatloaf.

Maxime

Instead of bread crumbs, I used oats, and no eggs and beef stock. Simply delicious!

Casey

i used NY-style deli rye bread to make the breadcrumbs. The caraway seeds and rye enhance the Nordic / Scandinavian flavor profile of these Swedish meatballs.

Sarah Walsworth

First foray into Swedish territory, but the sensory souvenir (TM) of our childhood nanny's, Mrs Södestjerna's, cooking when parents would travel together held tough and I felt motivated to take a stab. Really lovely meatballs, made as big as tennis balls. First string went into a wonderful Italian marinara atop spaghetti, then the overnighters, bathing in their juices, followed the recipe to a Swedish 't' the next day to produce a wonderfully hearty gravy, which we ladled over jasmine rice.

Mary

A two-day event but the taste was well worth the effort. Very fine texture and delicious served with lingonberry sauce.

Casey

i used NY-style deli rye bread to make the breadcrumbs. The caraway seeds and rye enhance the Nordic / Scandinavian flavor profile of these Swedish meatballs.

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