Swedish Meatballs

Is there anything better than meat and gravy over mashed potatoes?

No, there really isn’t. I am totally that person that has to stop at the cafeteria at IKEA. I am an absolute sucker for their savory meatballs. For this version of Swedish meatballs, I use a combination of warm spices like nutmeg and Chinese five-spice powder. Chinese five-spice is a combination of ground star anise, clove, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns. It really adds a layer of complexity than just a dash of nutmeg.

You need to use a combination of pork and beef to get the texture right. The pork adds fattiness for tender meatballs while the beef kicks in the flavor. If you do not want to use all of the meatballs in a single recipe, freeze them on a sheet tray overnight before adding them to a Ziplock bag. This prevents them from sticking together.

Finally, if I am going to go through the trouble of making homemade meatballs, I’m going to save some time and use instant mashed potatoes. Don’t judge. It’s the quickest way to get to the ethereal Joel Robuchon-quality potato purée in less than ten minutes. Hint, his secret ingredient was an unholy amount of butter. I like using the Idahoan or Bob’s Red Mill brands. You can certainly make homemade mashed potatoes.

Ingredients for the Meatballs & Gravy

• 1 lb ground pork

• 1 lb ground beef

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs

• 1/2 cup minced onion

• 1 tbsp chicken boullion

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp Chinese Five-Spice powder

• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper

• 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

• 2 tbsp of vegetable or canola oil

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 tbsp of flour

• 1/4 cup dry white wine or Shaoxing wine (optional)

• 2 cups beef broth, low sodium

• 1 cup heavy cream

• Lingonberry or raspberry jam for serving

Ingredients for the Mashed Potatoes

• 4 tbsp butter

• 4 cups milk

• 2 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 2 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes or potato flakes

Serves 8

Directions

1. To make meatballs, mix together ground pork, ground beef, eggs, Panko bread crumbs, minced onion, spices and salt. Roll into golf-ball sized meatballs, place onto a tray, and set aside.

2. Heat two tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. You may need to cook the meatballs in batches. Transfer to a new plate and set aside.

3. Make the potato puree by heating up the butter, milk, and spices in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once the mixture starts to simmer, add in the instant mashed potatoes or potato flakes. Stir to combine and set aside. You may need some more milk to thin out the mixture once you’re ready to serve. The potato puree should be smooth and creamy, not stiff and fluffy like the Joel Robuchon Potato Puree.

4. In the same pan that you cooked the meatballs, without cleaning it, melt two tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, add in the flour to create a roux and scrape up all of the good bits of fond on the bottom of the pan. The fond is where the flavor comes from. At this point, you can deglaze with the white wine or just add the beef broth. After one minute, add back the meatballs and cook for five to ten minutes with the lid off. When the meatballs are cooked and the gravy has thickened, add in the heavy cream. Season to taste before serving.

5. Plate each dish with a scoop of the potato puree, top with approximately six to seven meatballs per person. Each dish should get a dollop of raspberry or lingonberry jam as per tradition. Enjoy!