Swedish Meatballs

My handsome, romantic, agreeable Southern husband is one of the major ingredients that keeps this little blog chugging along. Not only does he bravely eat each and every experiment that comes out of my kitchen, he also helps with the chopping, the measuring, and (yes!!) the cleaning up. He cheerfully runs out for those ingredients I inevitably forget and need right NOW. He also gave me this...

And this.

So every now and again I like to make him his all-time favorite dinner, which is Swedish Meatballs. I'm always on the lookout for a good Swedish Meatball recipe, and I've tried quite a variety of 'em over the years. Which made it that much more exciting when I spotted a new one at one of my most reliable cooking resources, Cooks Illustrated. If Cooks Illustrated makes it, you KNOW it is going to be great, and this was no exception. Lots of Swedish Meatball recipes can be heavy and salty and overwhelmingly saucy, but not this one - the sauce is light and delicious and the meatballs are flavorful and just a tiny bit sweet. Pour the whole thing over some noodles (egg noodles if you want to be authentic, bowties if you are me and forgot to get egg noodles and didn't want to send the Southern husband out to the store yet again). Scatter a little parsley on top - not traditional, but good! -- and watch your true love's eyes light right up.

Ain't love grand??

Last but not least, please click here, and then go make some Swedish Meatballs.

Swedish Meatballs, from Cooks Illustrated

1	large egg
1/4	cup heavy cream
1	large slice bread, crusts removed and bread torn into 1-inch pieces
8	ounces ground pork
1	small onion , grated on large holes of box grater (about 1/4 cup)
1/8	teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8	teaspoon ground allspice
1/8	teaspoon ground black pepper
1	teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2	teaspoons salt
1	teaspoon baking powder
8	ounces ground beef
1 1/4	cups vegetable oil
1	tablespoon unsalted butter
1	tablespoon flour
1 1/2	cups chicken broth
1	tablespoon brown sugar
1/2	cup heavy cream
2	teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

1. Whisk egg and cream together in medium bowl. Stir in bread and set aside. Meanwhile, in stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat pork, onion, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder on high speed until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary. Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain; add mixture to mixer bowl and beat on high speed until smooth and homogeneous, about 1 minute, scraping bowl as necessary. Add beef and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl as necessary. Using moistened hands, form generous tablespoon of meat mixture into 1-inch round meatball; repeat with remaining mixture to form 25 to 30 meatballs.
   
2. Heat oil in 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat until edge of meatball dipped in oil sizzles 3 to 5 minutes. Add meatballs in single layer and fry, flipping once halfway through cooking, until lightly browned all over and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking.) Using slotted spoon, transfer browned meatballs to paper towel-lined plate.
3. Pour off and discard oil in pan, leaving any fond (browned bits) behind. Return pan to medium-high heat and add butter. When foaming subsides, add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is light brown, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Add brown sugar and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and return to simmer.
4. Add meatballs to sauce and simmer, turning occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and serve over egg noodles or other pasta.

Click here for printable recipe