Swedish Meatballs

I've never made Swedish meatballs before and I gave it a try for Halloween. We had family and friends come over for a cocktail and treats, and I served these as appetizers. They were quite delicious and I bet they would also taste great over a bed of egg noodles as a main course. After I cooked all the meatballs, I placed them in a Crock-Pot, poured the sauce over them and kept it on low. Or you can use the oven method (like in this recipe) and it will work just as good. This recipe is straight from Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats."

INGREDIENTS (makes 32 to 36 meatballs)

• 2 slices fresh white bread (I used wheat bread because that's all we had)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons clarified butter, divided (I suggest you buy Ghee, which is what I used, and it's much easier than making your own clarified butter)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• A pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 pound ground chuck
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.

In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds. (I don't have a scale, so I just made my meatballs about 1.5" in diameter). Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven. Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.