Swedish Meatballs

Name: Swedish Meatballs
Yield: Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 slices fresh white bread, roughly torn; 1/2 cup beef broth; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 onion, finely diced; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 pound 80% lean ground beef; 1 pound ground pork shoulder; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 large eggs

January 24, 2012

C’mon, how could we not include this seventies’ entertaining classic? But fear not, these aren’t tired chafing-dish buffet standards; they are a delicious duo of beef and pork, along with a well-spiced mixture of allspice and mustard powder and a touch of heavy cream. While people may argue over authenticity, we’re not Swedish, but we know these are darn good. Serve them with our Mushroom Gravy (page 63), Mashed Potatoes (page 79), and a bit of lingonberry jam.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 slices fresh white bread, roughly torn

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 pound 80% lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork shoulder

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.
Step 2
Place the torn bread, beef broth, and cream in a bowl and let soak for 5 minutes
Step 3
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until transparent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the parsley, allspice, mustard powder, and flour and stir to incorporate. Pour the contents of the pan into the bowl with the bread mixture and stir until well mixed. Set aside to cool.
Step 4
Combine the cooled onion and bread mixture with the ground beef, ground pork, salt, pepper, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
Step 5
Roll the mixture into round, golf ball–size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
Step 6
Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
Step 7
Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick. Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.

TagsMeatball Swedish Scandinavian European Ground Beef Beef Meat Ground Pork Pork Main Dinner Roast Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Recipe notes