How do you prefer your homemade meatballs? I got two main menus. One is “Polpette al sugo” like how Italian calls, Meatballs in tomato sauce. And the other favourite menus is “Swedish meatballs” the one with creamy sauce. 

I started to eat these Swedish meatballs from Ikea. every time when we do shopping at Ikea we used to eat from their restaurant. It’s a low budget restaurant, I don’t say their foods are in high quality but still worth and budget friendly. Every time I used to eat Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam from them. That’s my all time favourite. If just in case they are running out of Swedish meatballs, grilled salmon is my second favourite dish from Ikea restaurant. I don’t know any other place to eat some Swedish meatballs from where I live, so this place stole my heat when we talk about Swedish meatballs. And one and only place come to my mind. 

I don’t know when, but I bought a bottle of lingonberry jam from Ikea many months ago. It was in my pantry and totally forgot. Couple of days ago husband was coming with that to me and asked when are you gonna eat this…? And It is gonna expire within couple of months. and I got some ground meat in freezer, so decided to make some Swedish meatballs. 

In real recipe they use half ground beef and half ground pork. But as how we don’t eat beef, and I got some ground pork in freezer. I decided to make with only ground pork. But you could usually add both or substitute with ground turkey, chicken or any other meat. 

When we talk about the spices here, I used what I use normally find in my kitchen. What I find easily in my kitchen. Have to say this is not the traditional recipe. I did this with what I have in my kitchen. I’m so familiar with it. I don’t have all spices in my kitchen now. This is my version.

 

1.heat a pan and add 1tbs olive oil to it. Add finely chopped 1/2 medium onion and 1 garlic clove to it and cook in medium heat until softend 

2.into a large mixing bowl add 550g ground meat, 50g breadcrumbs, 1 egg, handful of chopped parsley, cooked onion and garlic, salt and along with spices such as 1/4tsp of each ground cumin and ground black pepper, 1/2tsp cayenne pepper powder. Mix well with your clean hand. Make small size meatballs and leave aside. 

3.heat a large pan with 1tbs olive oil and place all the meat balls there. Sear, cook all sides until brown in low flame. This may takes about 10-15 minutes, make sure to cook all the sides until brown. Take out from the pan pre cooked meatballs and place on a plate. 

4.heat the same pan with 4tbsp butter and let it melt in low heat. Add 5-6tbsp flour and continue on whisk. Use a hand whisk. Make sure there’s no any lumps. 

5.add 500ml broth while whisking by one hand. Keep whisking about 2 minutes in low heat and add 200ml heavy cream and continue on whisking about 2-3 minutes. 

6.place all the pre cooked meatballs in the sauce, add some ground black pepper and more salt if needed and bring it to boil while stirring the sauce. Simmer in low heat about 8-10 minutes and serve.