Tam’s Swedish Meatballs
May be served “as is” with any sides; or ladled over a bed of either pasta, spaeltzle, or rice; or used to make meatball sandwiches; or may even be served over various toasted breads.
There are actually several ways in which make these meatballs. It depends upon how I’m doing — the time available and amount of effort I am able to spend — as to how I go about making them.
I prefer the traditional but have other methods listed in descending order from the most involved to the easiest.
Usually, if required, I will substitute the Electric Pressure Cooker (Method Two) recipe, but on really bad days, if I have four hours to wait, I’ll use the Crock Pot (Method Two). If I don’t have four hours, then I’ll use one of the others.
Due to arthritis — as well as several old injuries during my youth that eventually caught up to me (plus titanium pins and bone grafts along with other surgeries), I really try to make use of “good days” by making items ahead of time that can be frozen — such as the meatballs.
Some sauces and gravies freeze well and others do not. Usually, if they contain dairy products then separation of the fats can occur over a period of time leaving little whitish lumps or beads. They may not look as pretty but are still okay to eat. Sometimes the separation can be reduced or eliminated by heating the gravy or sauce with a bit of additional fresh dairy or butter.
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Due to multiple allergies and MCS, I also have to avoid artificial additives. I don’t have the so-called luxury of using most prepackaged products. So, yes, the method in which I cook often takes “scratch” cooking to a whole different level — sometimes even pre-industrial.
However, there are many other illnesses and conditions that also benefit from this way of cooking.
It also reduces the risk for developing many various health issues later which greatly reduces the quality of life — or that ends life much sooner than normal.
Yes, we all die eventually, but wouldn’t you like be able to actually enjoy the time remaining — without having “preventable” pain, discomfort, and chronic illness — or ending that life much sooner than it would have naturally?
Furthermore, most of the artificial additives used in the U.S.A. have been banned by other countries around the world due the fact that they are able to cause cancer, endocrine disruption, weight gain, GI disturbances, increased or decreased thyroid, decreased mental acuity, ADHD, anxiety, asthma, allergic reactions (rash, hives), and many other health issues.
The U.S. says these products are safe in the quantities being used. However, if they are being put into everything then at what point is that safety limit reached by the consumer eating all of these prepackaged products?
They base this on animal studies, because it is not ethical to put human lives at risk. However, we are also not those animals. Rats live 2 to 3 years on average and are very prone to certain cancers after the first year of life for example. They are rodents, smaller, and live a much shorter life span than human beings. They are not capable of consuming the quantities that humans can nor can they do so for as long as humans due to extremely shorter life spans. So such studies, while still very beneficial, have limitations.
They also say it is not likely or impossible for people to consume these additives in quantities that would be harmful.
In vintage times, processed sugar was consumed at a rate of 4 lbs per person — which was previously said to not be possible– and adverse health issues resulted from that increase.
Yet, today, we consume between 64 and 80 lbs of highly processed and refined sugar per person annually.
Processed sugar in one form or another is added to so many prepackaged products that it is nearly impossible to control its intake.
The grossly excessive over use of artificial additives (colors, preservatives, flavors, flavor enhancers, stabilizers, etc.) are no different.
We have always needed and required ways to preserve foods and prevent spoilage. We always will require methods to do so. There are also many ways of doing this without adding man-made chemicals!
However, there is no need to “artificially” flavor or flavor enhance anything — except to ensure that an inferior product will sell. It is nothing more than a marketing ploy to produce very bad quality food products super cheaply so that they can then be sold for profit.
They care nothing about the eventual long term health consequences! They profit well and actually contribute some of that wealth to politicians and some to support their own biased scientific research. Always look to see who actually funded that so-called research project and watch closely for such conflicts of interest.
It is a well known fact that modern day highly processed, prepackaged foods with an abundance of artificial additives, MSG, sodium, and sugars are adversely effecting health. However, it took petitions backed by law to force the FDA to ban only a very few artificial additives on October 5, 2018.
The FDA has been dragging its feet defining the word “natural” for several years — because doing so would effectively put an end to the use of many of these artificial additives. Meanwhile, there are those who are taking individual food companies to court for their claims of having “natural” ingredients in products — and most of these cases are being won!
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My Traditional Recipe
1 can evaporated milk, divided
2 Tablespoons Lee & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup powdered dried bread, toast, or croutons
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Place dried or toasted bread or croutons in food processor, coffee grinder, or blender and pulse to powder or crush by hand.
Add 2/3 cup evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce onion, 1/4 cup powdered bread, and seasonings then pulse to combine and mince onion well. If doing by hand. then mince onions well and stir or whisk together.
Add mixture to ground beef in a large bowl and using hands mix to combine well.
Shape meat mixture into 1-in. balls.
In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat.
In small bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup bread with 1 Tbsp. flour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roll meatballs in mixture to coat very lightly then roll in palms of hands briefly.
Brown coated meatballs all sides a few at a time and using tongs or slotted spoon remove to a plate.
Add broth to skillet and bring to a boil.
Carefully add meatballs to the boiling broth.
Reduce heat to low and simmer 12 minutes.
Whisk together water and remaining flour.
Remove meatballs from skillet with slotted spoon or tongs placing on plate again.
Whisk flour mixture and remaining evaporated milk into the pan juices. Cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring with whisk until sauce thickens.
Return meatballs to skillet. Simmer uncovered for 1 minute. Serve.
Electric Pressure Cooker (Method One):
Lightly coat bottom and lower 1/3 portion of the sides of pot with olive oil using spritzer oil bottle or paper towel. May also use a purchased spray olive or canola oil if preferred.
Mix, form, and lightly coat meatballs as directed above.
Whisk flour with 1-1/2 cups beef broth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add raw meatballs a few at time coating until wet on all sides with flour broth mixture then place in pot. This prevents the raw meatballs from clinging and sticking together and saves time since they won’t have to be browned in a skillet.
Pour flour broth mixture into the pot over the meatballs.
Seal and cook for 12 minutes then vent naturally (slow) for 5 minutes. If required, finish by manually venting (quick) after the initial 5 minutes.
Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and spread out into a casserole dish.
Whisk gravy and check consistency. If needed, cook on saute/brown setting stirring with whisk until thickened. If required, combine 1 Tbsp. corn starch with 1/4 cup water or broth — OR — 3 Tbsp. flour mixed with 1/2 cup water or broth to add to gravy to help thicken.
Note: Depending upon the size, make and model of machine, it is sometimes actually faster to thicken the gravy on the stove top in an uncovered skillet where it can spread out and with the increased surface area may reduce more efficiently.
When desired thickness, stir in evaporated milk and simmer uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes using saute/brown setting stirring continuously with whisk.
Pour or ladle gravy evenly over top of the meatballs. Serve.
(Note: If meatball temperature has dropped while trying to reduce and thicken the gravy add back into pot or skillet with gravy to reheat before serving.)
Electric Pressure Cooker (Method Two):
Mix, form, and lightly coat meatballs as directed above.
Brown/Sear outsides of meatballs in skillet.
Place in lightly oiled cooker with 1-1/2 cups broth, seal and cook for 12 minutes then vent naturally (slow) for 5 minutes. If required, finish by manually venting (quick) after the initial 5 minutes.
Remove meatballs with slotted spoon. Then pour broth into a skillet and make the gravy as directed above on the stove top using the skillet in which the meatballs were browned. Add meatballs into the gravy, simmer 1 minute, and serve.
Electric Pressure Cooker (Method Three):
This is not true Swedish meatballs but it will be a tasty substitute.
Mix, form, and lightly coat meatballs as directed above.
In place of traditional gravy and to avoid any stove top cooking, make a sauce.
Use 2 cans condensed soup or substitute the following:
Mix condensed soup with 1/2 cup beef broth and 1/2 cup sour cream. Season as desired with salt and pepper.
Place in lightly oiled cooker with sauce, seal and cook for 12 to 14 minutes then vent naturally (slow) until pot has fully vented and safe to open. Do not manually vent due to this sauce being able to shoot out and splatter everywhere.
Remove meatballs with slotted spoon and place in casserole dish. Stir or whisk remaining sauce and pour over meatballs. Serve.
Note: Yes, you can use purchased frozen meatballs although most have artificial additives, higher sodium and fat content, etc. so check labels and compare products carefully. You will also need to add other additional seasonings and ingredients, i.e. chopped onions, garlic cloves, and allspice to the sauce.
Crock pot (Method One):
Mix, form, and lightly coat meatballs as directed above.
Brown/Sear outsides of meatballs in skillet.
Cook meatballs in broth for 4 hours on High.
Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon, then pour broth into a skillet and make the gravy as directed above on the stove top using the skillet in which the meatballs were browned. Add meatballs into the gravy, simmer 1 minute, and serve.
Crock pot (Method Two):
This is not true Swedish meatballs but it will be a tasty substitute.
Make meatballs as directed above ahead of time and freeze. To freeze, place spaced apart on baking sheet and freeze to prevent from sticking together then package to store in freezer.
In place of traditional gravy and to avoid any stove top cooking, make a sauce.
Use 2 cans condensed soup or substitute the following:
Mix condensed soup with 1/2 cup beef broth and 1/2 cup sour cream. Season as desired with salt and pepper.
Add frozen meatballs and cook on High for 4 hours (or for 6 hours on Low).
Note: Yes, you can use purchased frozen meatballs although most have artificial additives, higher sodium and fat content, etc. so check labels and compare products carefully. You will also need to add other additional seasonings and ingredients, i.e. chopped onions, garlic cloves, and allspice to the sauce.
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