Swedish Meatballs

Summary

Author:	Bob Dinitto
Source:	Janet DeLuca
Adapted from:	anonymous 50 year old newspaper clipping
Preparation time:	45 minutes
Cook time:	45 minutes
Total time:	1 HR 30 minutes

Introduction

This recipe was given to me by my aunt Janet, who copied it from an old newspaper clipping. They're a bit of work, but delicious!

Ingredients

Amount	Measure	Name	Preparation
¾	pound	ground beef	lean
½	pound	ground veal
¼	pound	ground pork
1½	cups	soft bread crumbs
1	cup	light cream
½	cup	onion	chopped
5	tablespoons	butter	divided
1	each	egg
¼	cup	parsley	finely chopped
1¼	teaspoons	salt
to taste	ground black pepper
to taste	ground ginger
to taste	ground nutmeg
2	tablespoons	all purpose flour
1	¼	cups	beef stock or broth
½	teaspoons	instant	coffee

Equipment

large mixing bowl
large, heavy frying pan
electric mixer (optional)
food processor (optional)

Procedure

Have meats ground together twice.
Soak bread in cream about 5 minutes.
Cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter until tender but not brown.
Mix meats, crumb mixture, onion, egg, parsley and seasonings. Beat 5 minutes at medium speed on mixer, or mix by hand until well combined.
Shape into 1 ½ -inch (1 oz.) balls. (Mixture will be soft – for easier shaping wet hands or chill mixture first.)
Brown meatballs in 2 tablespoons butter. Remove from skillet.
For Sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet with drippings. Stir in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Add beef stock and instant coffee powder. Cook and stir until gravy thickens.
Add meatballs. Cover and cook slowly about 30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F; baste occasionally.

Serving

Serve as a main course with buttered, parsleyed egg noodles, a fresh garden salad, crusty loaf of bread and a crisp Pino Noir. Or else as an appetizer on small plates garnished with crudités and/or cheese.