Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb ground beef (80/20 lean)
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 small onion, finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 28g unsalted butter
  • 42g unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups beef broth, low sodium
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

  1. Mix the base. Combine the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, grated onion, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Note: Over mixing makes the meat tough.
  2. Shape the spheres. Roll the mixture into 1 inch spheres. Try to keep them uniform so they cook at the same rate.
  3. Sear the meat. Melt 28g of butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Brown the Swedish Meatballs in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms.
  4. Rest the protein. Remove the meatballs from the pan and set them aside on a plate. Don't clean the pan! Those brown bits are flavor gold.
  5. Create the roux. In the same skillet, melt 42g of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until the roux is pale gold and smells nutty.
  6. Build the liquid base. Slowly whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Keep whisking while you pour to avoid lumps, scraping up the browned bits from the pan.
  7. Finish the sauce. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened and looks silky.
  8. The final simmer. Return the Swedish Meatballs to the skillet. Stir to coat and simmer on low for 5-8 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 71°C and the sauce is glossy.