Swedish Meatballs

Every year, the weekend before Christmas, Carolyn and her daughters get together to make Swedish Meatballs.  I have a standing invitation to finely dice the onions and to get out of the kitchen so production can take place unimpeded. (12025013 update: I have been invited to roll meatballs too!) We’ve never actually counted, but the outcome must be about 200 meatballs.  The recipe is based on a recipe passed down by Carolyn’s mother, Martha.
5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons sage
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ginger
2-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup dried or fresh parsley
3 lbs. ground beef
1-1/2 lbs. ground pork
1 lb. ground veal
3 eggs
½ cup half & half 
2 medium yellow onions, very finely diced (about 3 cups)
Butter
Knorr’s vegetable or beef bullion
Mix the first 10 ingredients together and set aside. Mix the eggs, half+half and onions (the "wet ingredients"); set aside. Add a beef bullion, a half teaspoon of allspice, and a cup of water to a large pot.
Add all the meat to a large bowl and add the 10 dry ingredients, as well as the parsley. Mix, with your hands, until thoroughly blended. Add the wet ingredients to the meat and mix with your hands thoroughly.
Form the meatballs by rolling about one tablespoon of the meat between your palms. The meatballs should be small; no larger than 2.5 cm in diameter.
When you have about 20 meatballs ready, melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet and brown the meatballs over a medium heat, turning occasionally. Once well browned, remove to the large pot and add another 20 or so meatballs to the skillet(s). After all the meatballs have been browned, deglaze the skillet(s) with 1 cup of water and add the liquid to the meatballs. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until Christmas. After reheating, drain off most of the liquid and prepare a gravy with cornstarch.
Leftovers freeze nicely.



Yes, smell that butter!