SWEDISH MEATBALLS IN CREAM SAUCE

PG tested

For meatballs

3 slices soft white bread, torn into pieces

½ cup whole milk, warmed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

½ yellow onion, minced (about ½ cup)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground beef 1 pound ground pork 2 eggs, slightly beaten ½ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Olive oil for pan

For sauce

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups beef broth or stock ½ cup heavy cream Salt and pepper, to taste ¼ cup sour cream 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Cooked egg noodles, for serving

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Cranberry sauce or jelly, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place breadcrumbs in a small bowl and cover with warm milk. Stir to combine, then set aside.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan or skillet. Cook onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Transfer onion into a large bowl and add ground beef, ground pork, eggs, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and the moistened breadcrumbs. Season with a generous pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper. Mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.

Drizzle a little olive oil into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and evenly coat the entire surface.

Roll the meat mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs ( about 1 ½ inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.

Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. (Alternatively, you can fry the meatballs in batches in oil or butter until well browned on the outside and cooked through.) Transfer to a plate.

Make sauce: In a large saucepan (I used a 12-inch cast- iron skillet), melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle in flour. Stir with a whisk until flour browns, about 3 minutes, to get rid of the raw flavor. Whisk in broth and heavy cream. Then season with salt and pepper.

Simmer, whisking regularly, until reduced to a sauce, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the sour cream and mustard. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Add meatballs to sauce, and gently stir to combine. Allow meatballs to simmer in sauce until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Spoon meatballs onto cooked egg noodles and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with cranberry sauce/ jelly on the side.

Serves 8.