Rediscovering Swedish cuisine: Homemade meatballs vs IKEA's classic

Not long ago, every shopping trip to the Swedish home furnishings store ended at the restaurant. I was tempted by the famous meatballs, which seemed to be the best there. That was until I started making them myself. These homemade meatballs taste delicious, and I no longer miss those from IKEA.

Swedish cuisine isn’t very well-known or famous, but there’s one dish that almost everyone can name. Of course, it’s the famous meatballs or köttbullar. They are small, juicy, and immersed in a delicious sauce.

Fans of meat patties don’t need much convincing to love meatballs. Although they might be associated with a children’s dish, we enjoy them regardless of age. Any ground meat works for such patties. You can use, for example, leaner poultry, as the dish will still be juicy due to the added sauce. However, Swedish-style meatballs are always made with beef, which Swedes mix with a small amount of pork. The meat has a distinctive flavour and aroma, while the pork makes them juicier.

It’s worth making these meatballs in advance because they are perfect for reheating. They won’t get tedious since you can serve them differently every day. They go well with potatoes, groats, or rice. Salad? Absolutely any kind. Swedes also add a slight, sweet touch. They serve the meatballs with a bit of lingonberry or cloudberry jam. It’s worth stocking up on them after shopping at IKEA.

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of ground beef,
• 300 grams of ground pork,
• half a cup of breadcrumbs,
• three-quarters of a cup of milk,
• half an onion,
• 2 tablespoons of butter,
• 1 egg,
• salt and pepper to taste.

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons of butter,
• 2 tablespoons of flour,
• 400 millilitres of beef broth,
• 100 millilitres of 30% cream,
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation method:

1. Pour milk over the breadcrumbs and set aside a few minutes to swell. Peel the onion, chop it into cubes, fry it in a tablespoon of butter, and let it cool.
2. Place the ground meat in a bowl, add the soaked breadcrumbs, fried onion, and egg, and season with salt and pepper. Mix the mass and knead it well.
3. Wet your hands with water, take small portions of the meat mixture, and form meatballs.
4. Fry the meatballs in butter in a pan. Remove them from the pan and drain the excess fat on paper towels.
5. In the same pan, melt the butter for the sauce. Sprinkle in the flour and fry it gently. Add the cold broth and bring to a boil. Add the cream and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens. Season the sauce to taste.
6. Place the meatballs in the hot sauce, stir and heat them for about 15 minutes. Serve with your favourite sides.