By Craig Claiborne
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 5(193)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Featured in: A SWEDISH COOK WHO BROUGHT HER ART TO AMERICA
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Advertisem*nt
Ingredients
Yield:8 or more servings
- 2pounds ground top round of beef
- 1cup fine fresh bread crumbs
- 1cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½cup finely grated onion
- Salt to taste if desired
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3egg yolks
- ½cup seltzer or club soda
- ½teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼cup butter
- 3tablespoons flour
- 1¾cups fresh or canned beef broth
- 1tablespoon red currant jelly
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
410 calories; 29 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 574 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
Step
1
Put the beef in a bowl and set aside.
Step
2
Blend the bread crumbs and one cup of cream, and let stand half an hour or longer. Blend the meat and the crumb mixture and add the onion, salt, pepper and egg yolks. Stir to blend well.
Step
3
Add the seltzer and thyme and blend thoroughly.
Step
4
Shape the meat into 48 to 56 meatballs, each about 1½ inches thick.
Step
5
Heat the butter in a large, heavy skillet and add the meatballs a few at a time. Do not crowd them. Cook until seared on one side. Cook, turning, until browned on all sides, and transfer to a dish. Continue cooking until all the meatballs are browned.
Step
6
Pour off the fat from the skillet. Add the flour and stir with a wire whisk. Gradually add the broth, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Stir in the jelly until it melts. Add the remaining cream and stir.
Step
7
Return the meatballs to the skillet with the sauce and reheat gently.
Ratings
193
user ratings
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Robin Ann
Add allspice
polly
To those who found this lacking in flavor, this much meat truly need at least 1 teaspoon salt. The salt brings everything into sharper focus. For those whose breadcrumbs “clumped,” use a tiny bit more milk or cream, mix with a big fork and then add to meat, mixing with the fork to distribute. The bread crumbs and milk tenderize the meatballs.
c Jensen
This needs more help than allspice. The meatballs were a disappointment. The cream and bread crumbs ended up clumping. It basically made these disgusting nodules of bread crumbs inside the meatballs. The meatballs lacked seasoning. The sauce kind of saved it. But beef fat, beef stock and cream are basically required for any swedish meatball recipe. Skip this one, will not be making again.
veggie version attempted…
Tried this with impossible ground… bland, but a decent starting point. Became too wet, so as a result, breadier. I’ll sort it out by jul Thanks for posting
Sally
Just wondering... trying to find the Swedish meatball recipe my mother may have used in the 1960s... is this it?
kk
Had to try as I was intrigued w/seltzer but after reading bland comments, added Melissa Clark recipe spices: 1t allspice, 1/2t nutmeg, 1/8t cloves, 2t diamond kosher salt, 1/2t pepper, 1t thyme. Used dry breadcrumbs and 1/2&1/2 (all I had) and 2 whole eggs (easier). As noted by Polly, fluff crumbs w/fork before adding. Meatballs were rich and velvety (heavy cream would’ve been overkill). Liked the warm spices -will leave in, but change thyme to 1/2t ground ginger & use fresh crumbs in future.
polly
To those who found this lacking in flavor, this much meat truly need at least 1 teaspoon salt. The salt brings everything into sharper focus. For those whose breadcrumbs “clumped,” use a tiny bit more milk or cream, mix with a big fork and then add to meat, mixing with the fork to distribute. The bread crumbs and milk tenderize the meatballs.
c Jensen
This needs more help than allspice. The meatballs were a disappointment. The cream and bread crumbs ended up clumping. It basically made these disgusting nodules of bread crumbs inside the meatballs. The meatballs lacked seasoning. The sauce kind of saved it. But beef fat, beef stock and cream are basically required for any swedish meatball recipe. Skip this one, will not be making again.
shyrl ponder
Meatballs are delicious and deceptively simple. I used salted butter to saute the meatballs for a little additional zing. I wasn't so sure about adding the lingonberry sauce to the gravy but my Swedish guest assured me that this was the way her family prepared it. It does add a nice dimension to an otherwise relatively bland sauce.
Robin Ann
Add allspice
Tj
I added lingonberry jam instead of the mustard, and Gouda cheese to the meatballs. Excellent!
Sarah
Absolutely delicious! I'm not even a big meat fan and I loved these. My partner and I made them with mashed potatoes on the side and rather than stirring the jelly into the gravy we used it as a topping. Super filling and hearty--this is the perfect dish for recovering after a long hike or workout.
MillValleyGirl
Just OK. I loved the consistency of these meatballs. I think the club soda really enhanced the lightness. BUT there is just not enough flavor. My husband liked them. He is Mr. Meat and Potatoes. If I make them again, I will look to amp up the flavor. I checked my vintage Luchow's cookbook to see what its Kottbullar recipe calls for. Fairly similar.
Private notes are only visible to you.
