Authentic Swedish Meatball Recipe by Chef John

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 0.5 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1.5 teaspoons fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 0.33 cup plain bread crumbs
• 0.25 cup milk
• 0.75 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 0.25 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3.25 cups beef broth
• 0.5 cup heavy cream
• 0.5 teaspoon white sugar
• 0.25 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Instructions

1. Prepare the meatballs: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion and salt until the onion becomes translucent, approximately 6 minutes.
2. Move the onion mixture to a large bowl. Incorporate eggs, bread crumbs, milk, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and cayenne. Thoroughly combine ground beef and pork. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
3. Create the gravy: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; whisk in flour and cook until a light golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in beef broth. Turn heat to medium-high, whisk in cream, and bring to a gentle simmer. Add sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until slightly thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.
5. Shape 2 to 3 tablespoons of meatball mixture into balls using wet hands; repeat until all mixture is used. Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and cooked completely, around 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) when inserted into the center of a meatball.
7. Add meatballs to gravy and cook over medium-low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition

• Calories: 479 kcal
• Fat Content: 36 g
• Fiber Content: 1 g
• Sugar Content: 2 g
• Sodium Content: 1206 mg
• Protein Content: 28 g
• Cholesterol Content: 194 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 10 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 17 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g