Swedish Meatballs: Köttbullar

I really first began to eat Swedish Meatballs about four decades ago, as a German-themed restaurant here in Cleveland, Kiefer's, had Swedish meatballs (Swedish: köttbullar) as a special on one weekday, but I forget which day. They were larger than what is likely typically served in Sweden, and remember, I said the restaurant was "German-themed," as it obviously had non German foods on the menu. This is NOT a dish you'll want to make if you are dieting, but you could certainly "lighten" it by using half and half, or even milk, in place of the heavy cream. Of course, if you use the heavy cream, but eat only a little gravy, you'll get the great texture and taste of the gravy, but far fewer calories. I'm a gravy kind of guy, so trying to eat just a small amount of gravy is a losing battle for me.   

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (80% or 85% lean)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup onion, pretty finely chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs (I use panko breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley 
2 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon (fresh) olive oil + 4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley for garnish 

lingonberry jam on the side

In a bowl, add the ground beef, the onion, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, salt, nutmeg, ground cloves, pepper and dried parsley, mix well by hand. Heat the oil over medium low heat in a 10 to 12 inch heavy bottomed skillet (cast iron is good, but not necessary). Form the meat mixture into 12 meatballs. Add and melt the butter in the oil, then add the meatballs. If you cannot fit all of the meatballs in at one time, fry them in two batches. Turn the meatballs frequently until they are browned and cooked through. This can take a little time, so be patient. JUST HURRY THE HELL UP! Haha! When the meatballs are done, remove them to a plate/platter. Also, remove any very darkened bits that may have fallen from the meatballs into the skillet during cooking, as they will be cooked even more, and you don't want any burned flavor in the gravy. Add and melt the butter in the drippings from the meatballs, add the fresh oil, then add the flour, stir well to mix in the flour with the butter/oil/drippings. Let it brown lightly. Gradually stir or whisk in the beef stock, maintaining the heat so it will mix with the flour and thicken. Stir in the heavy cream, mix thoroughly. Sprinkle on some freshly chopped parsley. Swedes "often" serve these meatballs with noodles and with lingonberry jam/preserves on the side. This jam is really something of a Swedish specialty, and it is generally available in supermarkets here in the U.S.   

Here I put the meatballs right on top of noodles, with little gravy on the meatballs, and with some chopped tomato and French dressing on the side. Below I served the meatballs right in the gravy, with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, a fairly common Swedish accompaniment. Many supermarkets now have lingonberry jam/preserves. 

WORD HISTORY:
Gut(s)-This word, distantly related to "gush," and often used in the plural, goes back to Indo European "gheu," which meant, "to pour, to let water or liquid flow." This gave Old Germanic the noun "guton," the meaning of which came from "a means of pouring or letting water or liquid flow:" that is, "a channel, a drain, a gutter,:" thus also, "intestinal system." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "gutt," and the plural, "guttas," with the "intestinal system" meaning, which later became "gut(s)." The meaning later expanded to "the inside parts of machinery and such." The extended meaning, "nerve, courage," is from the sense of emotions being in the abdomen;^ an idea certainly reinforced by our feeling sick in our stomach when worried. 

^ Courage has long been viewed as an emotion; thus a "mood," and the close German relative of English "mood" is, "Mut," which indeed means, "courage." English "mood" once had "courage" as one of its meanings, too.