Uncle Oscar's Swedish Meatballs
This recipe has been passed down from my great uncle. Many generations have enjoyed it. I hope you do also.
This recipe has been passed down from my great uncle. Many generations have enjoyed it. I hope you do also.
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 2 ea eggs
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sour cream
- 3/4 cup flour
- -- meatballs --
- 2 pound ground beef
- 1 cup onion minced
- 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 4 teaspoon dry parsley
- 2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- -- gravy --
- 6 cups beef stock
- Carbohydrate 132.715970989142 g
- Cholesterol 267.3837954 mg
- Fat 95.8277875439375 g
- Fiber 9.70339549770951 g
- Protein 81.599502947 g
- Saturated Fat 32.6202130059438 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1232g)
- Sodium 4433.41618208612 mg
- Sugar 123.012575491433 g
- Trans Fat 17.4852418566438 g
- Calories 1727 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine all ingredients.
- Mix well.
- Form into 1" balls.
- Brown in oil and set aside in large casserole dish.
- Wisk flour into browning oil.
- Cook until smooth.
- Add all remaining ingredients.
- Wisk until thickened.
- Combine with meatballs in casserole and bake at 350 for 1 hour.
- Serve over buttered noodles.
Swapping the traditional ground beef and pork blend for ultra-lean turkey transforms these robust spheres into dry, cottony pellets devoid of necessary moisture. Swedish meatballs historically rely on a high fat content from both beef and pork to remain tender during extended oven baking. Ground pork supplies crucial rendered fat that keeps the beef proteins from binding too tightly into a dense texture.
Technique and Gravy Mechanics
Forming the mixture into strict one-inch balls ensures even heat penetration throughout the hour-long bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Overcrowding the skillet during the initial browning phase prevents proper Maillard reaction development, resulting in gray meat rather than a deeply browned crust. Whisking all-purpose flour directly into the residual browning oil creates a dark roux that thickens the six cups of beef stock without clumping. Sour cream added into the simmering stock introduces dairy proteins that curdle if the liquid boils aggressively, so maintain a gentle heat once the cream is incorporated. Fresh minced onions release water as they cook, whereas dried minced onion yields a concentrated, sharper allium note without adding excess moisture to the raw meat mixture.
- Brown meatballs in batches using vegetable oil heated to medium-high to prevent steaming.
- Bake covered in a casserole dish for 60 minutes to tenderize the meat thoroughly.
- Whisk the flour and oil continuously to eliminate raw starch flavor before adding stock.
