Helga’s Meatballs by Top Chef Marcus Samuelsson

“Swedish export, top chef Marcus Samuelsson, credits his grandmother Helga with teaching him how to cook, notably this version of traditional Swedish meatballs.

4-6 SERVINGS

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

For the meatballs:

½ cup dry breadcrumbs

¼ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

½ pound ground chuck or sirloin

½ pound ground veal

½ pound ground pork

2 tablespoons honey

1 large egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine the breadcrumbs and heavy cream in a small bowl; stir with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened. Set aside. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, veal, pork, onion, honey, and egg, and mix well with your hands. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the breadcrumb-cream mixture and mix well. With wet hands (to keep the mixture from sticking), shape the mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls, placing them on a plate lightly moistened with water. You should have about 24 meatballs. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meatballs, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning frequently, for about 7 minutes, until browned on all sides and cooked through. Transfer the meatballs to a plate, and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.

For the sauce:

1 cup chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup lingonberry preserves

2 tablespoons pickle juice

kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Return the meatball skillet to the heat, whisk in the stock, cream, preserves, and pickle juice, and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs to the sauce, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are heated through.