IKEA SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Well, IKEA posted on Twitter the recipe for their iconic Swedish Meatballs…so, let’s do it!

O.K., I’m Danish. And my Danish Mom made Swedish Meatballs almost every New Years Eve. This recipe is so close to hers, it made me feel very nostalgic. I did make a couple of adjustments, but, for the most part, it is just like the IKEA version. The cream sauce is word for word IKEA. I added allspice and nutmeg to the meatballs (IKEA’s version does not list these spices). And, I chose to roast the meatballs then finish them in a skillet.

The cream sauce is a little thicker than I am used to, but I went with it.

The recipe below is how it read on Twitter. Oh… I cut the meatball part of the recipe in half. Not mentioned in the IKEA recipe is the Lingonberry Jam on the side…essential for Swedish Meatballs!

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

• 250g of lean ground beef
• 125g ground pork
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• 50g breadcrumbs (I used fresh white bread)
• 1 egg
• 5 tbsp of whole milk
• Generous salt and pepper

For the cream sauce:

• Dash of oil
• 40g of unsalted butter
• 40g of flour
• 150ml vegetable stock
• 150ml beef stock
• 150ml heavy cream
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions:

For the meatballs:

• Combine the beef and ground pork and mix with your fingers to break up any lumps. Add finely chopped onion, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, and mix. Add milk and season well with salt and pepper.
• Shape mixture into small, round balls. Place on a clean plate, cover, and store in the fridge for 2 hours. (This will help them whilst cooking).

• In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, gently add the meatballs and brown on all sides.
• When browned, add to an oven-proof dish and cover. Place in a hot oven (180c/350f) and cook a further 30 minutes.

For the iconic Swedish cream sauce:

• Melt 40g of butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add 150ml of vegetable stock and 150mil of beef stock and continue to stir. Add 150ml of heavy cream, 2 tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Bring it to a simmer and allow sauce to thicken.
• When ready to eat, serve with your favorite potatoes – either creamy or mashed or mini new potatoes.

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Sure, it’s all about the meatballs…but, it’s also about the gravy.

I’m Danish and my Danish grandparents made Frikadeller (Danish meatballs) quite often when they came to visit. This recipe is similar, but closer to classic Swedish meatballs in Sweden. You’ll find many different recipes, but I settled on this one a long time ago.

I used ground pork, ground beef, and ground veal. Substitute ground chicken for the ground veal as ground veal can be hard to find.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white bread, torn into small pieces
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup yellow onions, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 ounces leans ground beef
• 4 ounces ground prok
• 8 ounces ground veal or ground chicken
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

For the gravy:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For serving:

• Chopped parsley
• Lingonberry preserves

Directions:

• To the stand mixer bowl, add the bread crumbs and 1 cup cream. Mix with paddle for 30 seconds. Let sit for 30 minutes.
• Heat 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add the minced onion and saute for 4-5 minuets until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove to a bowl and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to cool.
• To the mixer bowl, add the rest of the meatball ingredients including the onions and garlic. Using the paddle on low speed, mix for about 2-3 minutes until totally combined. Cover the bowl with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes for all the flavors to combine.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Using a small scoop or melon baller, portion out the meatballs the size of a ping pong ball and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. When all the meatballs are portioned, using your hand dipped in water, mold them into smooth ovals and return to the parchment paper. Do not smash them together, leave them a little loose so they remain tender. Bake for about 15 minutes, longer if you made the meatballs bigger. Remove from there sheet pan to a bowl and keep warm in a large bowl.
• For the gravy, heat the butter in a small saucepan. Then add the flour to make a roux. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring. Whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer, letting it thicken. Add the Worcestershire and stir in. Add the cream and heat through. Taste and reseason if necessary.
• Add most of the gravy to the meatballs in the bowl and gently fold in. Save a little bit of the gravy for plating.
• Plate with more gravy and chopped parsley. Serve with buttered egg noodles or butter parsley potatoes…and lingonberry preserves.