swedish-ish meatballs

Scandinavia has a beautiful and specific culture, with a defined aesthetic for both its people and things. Everyone is polite, respects personal space, and is conscious of the impact they have on their surroundings. My boyfriend hails from this place. It is the basis of much of his appeal.

It is also the reason I think he acts like a space alien.

His idea of a Good Day is waking up at 7am, working out for 30 minutes, showering, meditating, taking a cold shower (?!), doing a breathwork sequence, finishing a language exercise, and then starting work. This happens while I am still in bed, which I am only dragged out of after he brings me coffee, which he does not drink. He is (usually) calm, collected, and difficult to phase. He does not get irate in difficult traffic or flustered when the kitchen drawer gets stuck. He is predictably excellent at building IKEA furniture.

here is in norway, which is not sweden

He cooks methodically, in defined steps, with exact measurements. This can make cooking with me complicated, as I have a tendency to improvise unless I’m actively working on recipe directions. We often cook together, but I’m usually in the lead, flying around the kitchen like an unhinged bat while he calmly dices an onion into identical-sized cubes.

But since Swedish meatballs are this boy’s red sauce—comfort, family, heritage, nostalgia—this is a dish we cook his way. This is true even though he is not from Sweden, but Norway, which in this instance (and only this one) he will say: close enough.

IKEA Swedish meatballs with gravy in a pan

welcome to my kind of ball pit

Both Norwegians and Swedes actually have a version of this dish, kjøttkaker and köttbullar respectively, with a few differences: Norway’s features ginger-y beef meatballs and a creamier, heavier white sauce; Sweden’s has compact beef/pork balls in a lighter brown gravy. He, like most of IKEA-going America, prefers the Swedish variety as if it were his own.

They say if you can survive IKEA as a couple, you’re made to last. Like IKEA furniture, they are a bit more work than you’d expect to assemble. Unlike IKEA, they do not involve playing Tetris with moving vehicles in a crowded parking lot, and is therefore net a lower stress yet authentic IKEA experience for any relationship. 💕

RECIPE

These IKEA-ish Swedish meatballs in creamy gravy are every bit as satisfying as the originals, and slightly less work than trying to park at an IKEA on a Saturday. Peak Scandinavian comfort when served with cauliflower mash or buttery egg noodles.

Effortful time: 30 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Makes about 40 1” balls; ~10 per serving

YOU NEED

For the balls:

  • 1 lb ground beef

  • 1 lb ground pork

  • 1/2 cup panko

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

  • Freshly cracked pepper

  • 1/2 a small yellow onion, grated on a microplane (or sub 1 tsp onion powder—I have done it both ways)

For the sauce:

  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

  • 2 tbsp. flour

  • 1 cup beef broth; I used 1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon in water

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 1 tsp. soy sauce

  • 1 tsp. whole grain Dijon mustard

  • Salt and pepper, to finish

  • Fresh parsley for serving

MAKE IT

  1. Prep your ingredients. Use a microplane to grate your nutmeg, then your onion, into a bowl big enough to mix meatballs. Crack and beat the eggs and measure your panko, then add them to the bowl. Salt and pepper this. Off to the side, measure out your flour, cream, and mix your beef broth (if using Better Than Bouillon).

  2. Mix your meatballs. Add the meats to the bowl. Really get in there with your hands and knead it. Remember to take your rings off! Nobody likes a filthy meat trap. 👀

  3. Roll your meatballs. Pinch off 1” sections of the meat and roll very tightly into smooth, small balls. Normally we don’t want to overwork the meat, but here you actually want that nice compact shape that stays ball-shaped as it cooks. Lay them on a plate or on a sheet pan lined with parchment.

  4. Fry your meatballs. Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; I recommend using one that’s nonstick or enameled rather than stainless. Lay in your balls; I had to do two batches. Using oven mitts, gently shake the pan over the heat until the meatballs loosen and roll around. Keep doing this periodically for 10 minutes. Use tongs to pull the balls onto a clean sheet of parchment on a plate. Repeat with the second batch; there should be plenty of fat in the pan.

  5. Make your sauce. With all the meatballs out, turn the heat on the pan to low. Add the last tbsp of butter to the pan and swirl it around to melt. Add your flour and cook gently until no white dust remains. Then slowly whisk in your broth and cream (I just combined them in one measuring cup to make this simple). Add salt, pepper, the Dijon, and the splash of soy sauce. Continue to whisk 3-4 minutes until thickened.

  6. Reunite your sauce with the balls. Transfer the meatballs back to the sauce and stir to coat. Simmer 1 minute more to let the flavors really seep in.

  7. Serve it! I love these balls with lots of sauce over easy microwave cauliflower puree (which I live off of); Scandiboi likes his with buttered egg noodles. A lil parsley for green is always welcome.

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