More meatballs.....
My husband's grand parents came from Sweden and there was a lot of Swedish pride in the cooking at my MIL's house. Because she was orphaned at 14, she never learned to cook many things from her mother, but the aunt who ultimately raised her taught her many of the traditional dishes. many things used no recipe and had to be interpreted by someone with measuring cup in hand...but here's my best version of her Swedish meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds of very finely ground meat, Ideally it should be double ground and 1/2 pound pork, one half pound beef and 1/2 pound veal, but in the midwest at that time veal was hard to find so she used 3/4 pound pork and 3/4 pounds beef and put them through the grinder again at home, the meat should be very lean and she followed up the meat in the grinder with a big slice of onion and a slice of white bread. She said it cleaned out the grinder.
She mixed that very well by hand and added:
One egg
1/2 cup cream
A potato, baked and the inside mashed up and added
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
She always said she didn't like them too spicy so she didn't add much pepper...I add more than she did.
Mix them well adding a little more cream or possibly a little flour ti make the consistency right.
Chill the mixture for at least an hour, longer is better..
Form into meatballs about an inch in diameter and fry in hot Crisco ( I use oil).
When all the meatballs are fried, pour out all but a little of the grease in the pan, add a little milk and scrape up the browned bits in the pan, and add a carton of sour cream and cook until thick, add 1/2 tsp dill seed and serve over the meatballs. Dill sounds odd....but it works.
I haven't done that in aged....they are delicious!
What other kinds of meatballs do you make?
Linda C
I always put dill in my swedish meatballs. Thanks for sharing I love this meal as do the kids...the hubby not so much!
Now I want Swedish Meatballs! I like how the dill sounds in that dish.
Linda, I make the Koenigsberger Klops, a veal meatball in a white sauce flavored with lemon and capers. I know that Sharon CB has teh same recipe and has posted photos.....
With the cool rainy weather, I should make some soon.
Peppi
I've never made them...but had them at Peppi's ( what a coincidence) in Vail.
also had a wonderful liver dumpling....mostly bread and lots of parsley...but heaven on earth!
You need to go to Vail just to visit Peppi's Porch...Peppi Grantshammer is the owner....wife Sheika. Wonder if they are still there?
Here is a link that might be useful: Pepi's
Oh I love those meatballs Peppi. Here is Sharon's recipe. Don;t let the anchovies put you off, they disappear in the sauce.
I also love meatballs, any recipe will do, simmered in a mushroom cream gravy similar to Salisbury steak or in a stroganoff style sauce. Served along with mashed potatoes or noodles, heaven....I feel a meatball marathon coming on!
Kigsberger Klopse (Poached Meatballs In Lemon & Caper Sauce.)
1/2 Lb finely ground veal (225 grams).. I use ground beef
1/2 Lb finely ground lean pork (225 grams)
1 large onion - peeled and finely chopped
8 anchovy fillets
finely chopped + 2 finely chopped later
2 Tbl capers finely chopped + 1 TBS whole
capers later for the sauce
1 lg egg
Kbeaten
3 Slice firm homemade style white bread crusts removed, soaked in water
juice of 1/2 lemon - or juice of whole emon if it is very small
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves (aromatic spice cloves)
1/2 Tbl oil for frying onion
2 Tbl flour mixed with water
salt & freshly ground pepper
1. Saute onion gently until golden and put aside.~
2. Mix the two ground meats with 8 of the chopped anchovies, 2 TBS chopped capers, beaten egg and the soaked bread which has been squeezed dry. Then mix in the cooled fried onion and some salt and pepper.
3. In a wide saucepan put 3 3/4 cups of water and add some salt, the lemon juice, bay leaves and cloves. Bring to the boil.
4. Meanwhile form large meatballs with hands and place on a plate about 14 meatballs. If water boils, turn off until all meatballs are formed.
5. Place the meatballs in the hot water and bring it slowly back to the boil then lower heat and let simmer gently for 30 minutes. Turn meatballs once or twice during this time.
6. When cooked, remove meatballs with slotted spoon to a casserole and keep warm. Mix flour and cold water to a paste and add to the cooking water, stirring to thicken. Add the last two anchovies, chopped fine and 1 TBS whole capers. Bring to the boil and simmer 2 - 3 minutes.
7. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve with boiled potatoes and green beans. I actually had more sauce than what appears here in the photo. I kept the rest in the pot on the stove for keeping hot.
Note: Go easy on the lemon juice if it is a large lemon. Don't use too much.
SharonCb
Linda - Dill "seed" or dill "weed"? Just checking, as I know you have a quirky keyboard ;)
Seed.....like you plant and it grows into weed...
No! Not THAT kind of weed!!
I guess I'm heading to Penzey's again.
No! Not THAT kind of weed!!
Oh well, at least that spares me from having to head the other direction to Trader Joe's to get some "peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwiched between dark and milk chocolate bars and then rolled in crushed potato chips."
Here are a couple of other options when you are in the mood for meatballs but would like something a little different.
Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table
Greek Meatballs With Avgolemono Sauce
=====================================
These are extremely tender and flavourful meatballs
1 1/4 lbs Lean Ground Beef
1/2 lb lean ground pork
2 slices of bread, made into crumbs and soaked with milk
3 garlic cloves
1 small grated onion
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 to 1 cup chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1 tablespoon chopped mint
2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoons dried oregano
2 eggs
1/3 cup uncooked rice
salt and pepper to taste
Option: Add some fresh chopped dill as well
5 cups chicken broth
Sauce
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
juice of 1 large lemon (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups of broth (from cooking meatballs)
Note: I also like these made with just pork.
Makes approximately 48 meatballs.
As an alternative to the egg/lemon sauce, try doing this instead:
Make a roux with butter and flour, add the chicken stock that you cooked the meatballs in, simmer, add some of the hot sauce to an egg yolk and then slowly stir the mixture back into the remaining sauce. Add lemon juice. Add the meatballs and simmer on low for a few minutes. Do not boil if using the egg yolk.
.
Mix the two meats together well and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well using hands.
Saute a small amount to taste for seasoning and adjust seasoning as needed.
Form into meatballs the size of walnuts and saute until brown. Drain on paper towels and then add to a pot of chicken broth.
Simmer for 40 minutes until tender.
Remove meatballs from broth. Strain broth and reserve 1 1/2 cups. Return broth to stove and bring to a boil.
Beat egg yolks and egg with lemon juice and slowly whisk the hot broth into egg mixture.
Return sauce to sauce pan and heat on low stirring until sauce thickens. Do not bring to a boil.
Add meatballs and continue to heat until meatballs are hot and coated with sauce.
Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table
Pork Meatballs seasoned with Garlic and Fresh Basil
===================================================
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 cup fresh basil, shredded or cut into ribbons
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup parmesan cheesefreshly cracked black pepper
salt
Sauce
olive oil
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
2 cans of tomatoes
high quality dried basil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
For the Meatballs
Put the meat in a bowl. Using a microplane grate the garlic. This is the quickest and easiest way to make a garlic paste. Add the parmesan cheese and the salt and pepper. Pulse the basil with the bread crumbs and add to the bowl. Add the eggs and mix well. To check for seasoning by frying a small piece.
Form into meatballs and brown in olive oil. Add to the pot of sauce and simmer about one hour.
For the Sauce
Add the garlic cloves to the oil and saute for 30 to 60 seconds. Do not Brown!!!!
Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the browned meatballs and continue to simmer for about an hour or until the meatballs are tender.
Just before serving add fresh chopped basil.
OK, now you've done it, Ann! I'm now officially hungry for meatballs -- any kind of meatballs -- and it's not lunch yet!
Teresa
Hmmm... raspberry chocolate potato chip sandwiches? In my younger days I... well... went to college. I was never witness to munchie creativity of that level. Anyone with kids at the U they can ask what the current munchies are? Might make an interesting thread all its own... hopefully nobody is tempted to revisit those glory days. Hmm... if you do wait for me to get there! I'll bring the chocolate bars.
Actually I just popped in to see what Jessy might say about meatballs.
I think it interesting the dropping of veal from the recipe. My grandmother dropped veal from golabki and my mother dropped pork. Family currently knows it as a beef hamburger only cabbage roll.
Meatballs? I've never made meatballs. Sometimes when I make a meaty spagetti sauce I'll leave the hamburger chunky. I like the way it soaks up the tomato juice and rosemary flavor.
: )
lyra
I wonder if ground turkey or chicken might be a substitute for veal in meatballs?