Chef John’s Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients

• Meatballs:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1 pound ground pork
• Gravy:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 1/4 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Cooking spray

Directions

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in butter until onion begins to turn translucent, about 6 minutes.

Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl. Add milk, eggs, bread crumbs, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and cayenne pepper to the breadcrumb mixture; stir to combine.

Mix beef and pork into the bread crumb mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; whisk flour into butter and cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk beef broth into butter mixture.

Increase heat to medium-high, whisk cream into mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir sugar and Worcestershire sauce into gravy. Simmer until slightly thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat foil with cooking spray.

Roll 2 to 3 tablespoons meatball mixture into a ball using wet hands; repeat with remaining meatball mixture. Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Transfer meatballs to the gravy and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes.