Swedish Meatballs

I’m finally starting to get back in the groove of things, photography-wise. I’ve discovered this fantastic little spot on our new kitchen counter, which has great window light for food photography. Plus, Shayne is going to make a few wooden prop boards for me soon. Yay! My creativity felt a bit rusty at the beginning of the year, but four weeks in and these two photo projects are pushing me back into shape. I love the ease of the Project 365 since I am only using my cell phone. Because it’s much simpler, it allows me extra room to think artistically. Perhaps if I say it out loud to the universe enough times, one day I’ll find a way to make a living out of this. 😉

Here is the printable recipe for my Swedish meatballs:

• Servings: 6
• Print

By Patty Nguyen Zurilgen   ||   www.pattynguyen.com

Ingredients:

• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 small onion, minced
• ½ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp olive oil

In a small bowl, combine panko bread crumbs and milk. Let sit for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, onion, allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt, pepper, eggs, panko/milk mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Chilling the meat mixture will make forming meatballs easier.

Once the mixture has chilled, roll the mixture into meatballs using an ice cream scoop. This will keep your meatballs uniform in size.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the meatballs in batches until all sides are evenly browned. Be careful not to overcrowd the skillet, or your meatballs will steam instead of brown. Transfer cooked meatballs to a plate and set aside. Drain the skillet, keeping the crispy brown bits, and proceed with gravy instructions.

Gravy

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Melt the butter in the same skillet used to cook the meatballs. Whisk in flour and cook for one to two minutes, or until lightly browned. Slowly whisk in beef broth and cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add heavy cream and Worcestershire and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Return the meatballs to the gravy and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Garnish with parsley and serve with fresh bread or over buttered egg noodles.