My Norwegian Grandmother's Meatball Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Swedish meatballs and Norwegian meatballs? ›

Norwegian recipes are made with all beef, while some Swedish recipes also use pork. Norwegian meatballs tend to be larger and flatter than their Swedish cousins.

It's a dish that's best made at home with lots of love! So what makes a kjøttkake? In Norway, they are traditionally made from minced cattle, pork, lamb, or game meat, and shaped into thick, flat patties and fried.

Pay attention to the fat percentage on the ground meat you're using — for ground beef, aim for at least 20 percent fat. Consider the other ingredients. Just ground meat and seasonings will yield only mediocre results. Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness.

If you're wondering what's so special about Swedish Meatballs, or what they taste like, close your eyes and imagine this: incredibly soft meatballs, made extra juicy by using a combination of both pork and beef and soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs, lightly spiced with just a touch of nutmeg and all spice that gives ...

Traditional Swedish way: Do not make the cream sauce at all. Serve meatballs over plain or stewed macaroni, plain or mashed potatoes, and lingenberry jam (optional)

Onions and garlic add flavor and texture, and milk, egg, and breadcrumbs act as a binder. Finally, Parmesan cheese is a little “Cozy” touch that adds a subtle pop of flavor. The sauce itself is an amazing combination of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and sour cream.

The Seasoning

While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

Meatballs are as quintessentially Swedish as it gets. In their most traditional form Swedish meatballs ('köttbullar') are made of ground pork and beef, cream, egg and onion, and are served with creamy mashed potatoes, a thick, brown gravy, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber.

LONDON — The furniture giant Ikea joined a growing list of brands that have been touched by Europe's food scandal on Monday and withdrew its signature Swedish meatballs from its markets and cafeterias across most of Europe after one batch was found to contain traces of horse meat.

Overcrowding can prevent the meat from browning properly, so it's best to work in smaller batches rather than trying to squeeze them all into the pan at one time. Baking will result in meatballs with a crunchy exterior, though the caramelisation achieved from frying will be superior.

Do meatballs get more tender the longer they cook in sauce? ›

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

Egg and breadcrumbs are added to meatballs to help hold together, and the combination helps give the meatballs a slightly more tender texture.

The major difference between Swedish and Italian meatballs is what they're accompanied with. Swedish meatballs are traditionally topped with a creamy gravy and served with mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce to cut through the richness, similar to how they're cooked at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Aquavit.

If you don't have mace or nutmeg, try replacing it measure for measure with allspice or pumpkin pie spice in any type of recipe, or with garam masala or ground ginger in savory recipes. You could also use cinnamon, just use half as much as called for in the recipe.

For example, Norwegian cuisine is more seafood-centric, while Swedish cuisine has a greater variety of meat dishes. In addition, Norwegian cuisine puts more emphasis on traditional cooking methods such as smoking and pickling, while Swedish cuisine is known for its fried dishes and use of sauces.

When it comes to the Swedish meatball it is thought that it was brought to Sweden by King Charles XII when he returned from Istanbul in 1713. The first recipe for meatballs in print was in the Cajsa Warg Cookbook in 1754.

"Finnish meatballs are meatier and bigger than Swedish meatballs. They are also served with lingonberry jam and boiled/mashed potatoes, and a gravy, but they are juicier and yummier.

Mix ground beef, ground pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger with onion in the mixing bowl. Lightly mix in bread crumbs and cream. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pinch off about 1 1/2 tablespoon meat mixture per meatball; form into balls.