REAL SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Cook´s Illustrated: Published January 1, 2009.

Meatballs have to be Sweden’s national dish for a reason. What’s the secret to making them light, springy, and flavorful?

The Problem

Too often, most recipes for this dish produce flavorless balls of ground beef or pork covered with thick, grainy sauces.

The Goal

Substantial yet delicate meatballs with a sausagelike springiness and satisfying snap, accompanied by a light cream sauce instead of heavy, brown gravy.

The Solution

We began with a combination of beef and pork and a panade—a paste of bread and liquid that is mixed into the meat. Although these yielded moist meatballs, they were too tender and practically fell apart. A panade works in two ways: Its liquid adds moisture, and the bread starch gets in the way of the meat’s proteins, preventing them from interconnecting and becoming tough. But it can result in meatballs that barely hold together. Thinking of other ingredients that lightened food, we turned to baking powder. Combining baking powder and a slice of bread mixed with cream provided moistness, substance, and lightness. To get sausagelike springiness, we took a cue from sausage-making techniques and used our stand mixer to whip the pork with salt, baking powder, and seasonings before adding the panade and gently folding in the ground beef. The results? The panade and baking powder kept the meatballs delicate and juicy, the whipped pork distributed the fat and provided spring, and the barely mixed beef offered heartiness. For the cooking method, shallow frying worked best—it browned the meatballs evenly and cooked them through. The final step was the sauce. Using mostly stock, a bit of cream lightened things, and some sugar helped balance flavors. A splash of lemon juice added just before serving lent brightness to these light, juicy Swedish meatballs.