It's possible that I might be addicted to these meatballs. I rarely go back for more meat during a meal, but when I make these, I keep going back for more. About seven or eight months ago I made the switch to grass-fed, free-range beef and free-range, all-natural chicken. I think both taste better than supermarket meats. They are more costly too, but I think it's worth it.
Back to the swedish meatballs... I didn't make huge changes to this recipe that I found in Food Network Magazine. The first change was in the meat. I wanted to try these, but I didn't have ground pork and I only had a 1-pound pack of ground beef, so that's all I used. Since we enjoyed them so much, I decided that this was how I would always make them. I also just use a whole small onion instead of trying to measure it. It's more than 1/3 cup and that's ok. Another change is in the amount of cream in the sauce. I accidentally measured out 1/3 cup of cream instead of the specified 1/4. So, I've stuck with my mistake. My final change is not refrigerating the meatballs before cooking them. It might be better to do it, but it's a lot faster to not bother.
Meatballs
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound lean grass-fed, free-range beef
1 egg and 1 egg white, beaten
Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, allspice, salt, and about 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour the milk mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste. Let cool slightly. Add the beef , egg, and egg white and mix until combined. (I generally just use my hands.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll the meat mixture into approximately 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth. Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with minced parsley (optional).
