Cooking Corner: Homemade Swedish Meatballs

Although this recipe takes about an hour and a half to make and requires significant work, the resulting product tastes amazing. These meatballs will end up with a lot of sauce, so spaghetti makes a great accompaniment.

Ingredients:
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 1/3 cups beef stock
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, minced
2 thick bacon slices, minced
1 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons flour

Directions:
First, mix breadcrumbs and 1/3 cup of the beef stock in a small bowl and set aside. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet and add all of the minced onions and sauté until brown. This should take about 10 minutes. Then, transfer the cooked onions to a large bowl.

Next, using the same pan, add the bacon and cook until crisp. After cooking, transfer the bacon to the same bowl as the onions, keeping the bacon fat in the pan. Add the ground beef, eggs, and dry ingredients, except the flour, into the large bowl and mix with your hands. After mixing, add the breadcrumb mixture and mix in well.

Using a tablespoon, measure the meat mixture and roll into balls. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Melt a tablespoon of butter with the bacon fat in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Transfer a third of the meatballs to the pot and brown on all sides. This takes about 6-8 minutes. When finished, place the meatballs on a plate. Between each third of the meatballs, melt another tablespoon of butter into the pot.

After all of the meatballs have browned and rested, whisk the flour in with the drippings left in the pot. After mixing, add the remaining 2 cups beef stock and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Return the meatballs to the pot, cover, and cook for 6-7 minutes. After cooking, turn off the heat, stir to coat the meatballs in the sauce, and serve over hot spaghetti.