Norwegian Meatballs Recipes

NORWEGIAN MEATBALLS (VIKING SOUL FOOD STYLE)

Steps:

• For the Norwegian meatballs: Small dice the yellow onions, or grate on a cheese grater on the largest holes. Warning: The cheese grater method is effective, but you'll likely have a tearful experience!
• Combine butter, 1 teaspoon salt and the grated onions in a small pot. Cook on medium-low until onions are browned and smelling sweet, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Chop up rye bread by hand or in a food processor until crumbly, but don't obliterate it. Add heavy cream, whole milk, and rye breadcrumbs to a pot. Heat gently on low until breadcrumbs have absorbed dairy and are softened and aromatic, then remove from the heat.
• Grind allspice berries and black peppercorns together in a spice grinder until fine.
• Combine rye breadcrumbs, eggs, flour, caramelized onions, remaining teaspoon salt and the spices in a large mixing bowl. Mix together until a smooth paste forms, then incorporate the beef and pork, squeezing with your fingers to make sure the starchy ingredients break up into the meat. At the same time, make sure not to overwork the mixture, as that would yield tough meatballs.
• Let stand at least 2 to 3 hours in the fridge, then roll into balls. We roll our meatballs to 1 1/2-ounces each, but all you need to do is make sure your meatballs are consistently-sized, so they cook at the same rate when they hit the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 550 degrees F, preferably on convection. Roast meatballs until well-browned on the outside, about 10 minutes in a convection oven or 12 minutes in a conventional oven.
• For the surkal: Thinly slice cabbage (1/4-inch thick) with a knife or mandoline. Avoid cutting into the core; you just want the purple leaves.
• Toss cabbage and salt together in a large bowl and allow to sit.
• Combine white sugar, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, ground caraway seed, bay leaf and 3 cups water in a large pot, then bring to a boil. Pour over cabbage and cover, then refrigerate for about 1 day. This will help lessen the harshness of the vinegars and soften the cabbage.
• After 24 to 36 hours, remove bay leaf and stir cabbage mixture to make sure caraway is well-distributed.
• Refrigerate until ready to eat.
• For the Gjetost cheese sauce: Melt the butter in a pot on medium heat and brown slightly. Add the flour and whisk well. Allow the roux to brown on medium-low heat until it reaches a rich golden brown color; it should smell nutty. This takes 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add the milk gradually in increments, whisking vigorously as you go. If you happen to have an immersion blender, run it through and get rid of any lumps. Reduce heat to low and watch carefully, whisking often and making sure the bottom doesn't burn. You want to see bubbles popping up to the surface every few seconds.
• Add the Madeira, white wine, salt and nutmeg. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 40 minutes, then grate the Gjetost cheese into the pot.
• Allow the sauce to cook gently and continue to thicken for about 1 1/2 hours. Be sure to whisk the bottom occasionally to get up any browned bits. If you have one, get your immersion blender in there and run it through until smooth and velvety. When finished, sauce should be the consistency of thick gravy and taste of toasty bread and goat cheese.
• Allow to cool for a half hour or so, then place in the fridge if you aren't going to use it right away.
• For the meatball lefse wrap: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Halve 2 of the meatballs and roast until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Toast a piece of lefse in a nonstick pan or better yet, on a lefse griddle, on both sides. Remove toasted lefse to a cutting board. Begin layering: 1/2 cup shredded green cabbage, 1/2 cup surkal/pickled cabbage, the heated meatballs and finally about 1/3 cup warm Gjetost cheese sauce. Roll it tightly like a burrito. Cut in half if you're sharing, but you probably won't want to.

AUTHENTIC NORWEGIAN KJøTTKAKER MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Put the dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl; corn starch, flour, paprika, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Add milk and whisk well until no lumps remain.
• Add meat and stir with a spoon until completely combined and sticky.
• Add olive oil or butter to a frying pan on medium-low heat.
• Shape meat balls with spoons or a meatball scoop, dipping your tool of choice in water now and again to keep meat from sticking.
• Drop the meat balls on the frying pan, flattening them a little bit with a turner.
• Cover and fry until browned on the top and bottom, a few minutes on each side.
• Keep hot until ready to serve.
• Serve with brown gravy, potatoes boiled in lightly salted water, and steamed vegetables such as a blend of cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli.
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• GRAVY:
• In a medium sized sauce pan on medium-low heat, melt butter.
• Add flour and onion powder. Whisk together into a smooth roux, and cook while whisking now and again until the flour mixture has turned medium-brown. This should take 8-10 minutes.
• Pull away from the heat and add all of the water while quickly whisking together to avoid lumps. But be careful, the flour mixture will be very hot and may hiss loudly when you add cold liquids. Alternatively, you can heat the liquid before adding.
• Also add the beef base, and bring to a boil while whisking often. The gravy will thicken. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 7-10 minutes until smooth. Stir once in a while.
• Add the meatball drippings from frying, which will add a lot of great flavor!
• Add heavy cream and stir well. (Optional)
• Serve over Norwegian meatballs.

BJARNE'S NORWEGIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a jelly roll pan.
• Combine bread crumbs, milk, eggs, onion, ginger, salt, nutmeg, garlic, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Let stand until bread crumbs absorb milk, about 5 minutes. Stir until just mixed and add ground beef. Mix until well blended. Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place on the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 18 minutes. Set meatballs aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Slowly add broth; cook and stir gravy until smooth and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Blend in cream, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
• Gently stir cooked meatballs into gravy and heat through, but do not boil, about 5 minutes more.

NORWEGIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine eggs, milk, bread crumbs, onion and seasonings. Let crumbs absorb milk. Add meat.
• Shape into 1 inches size.
• Place on greased pan and bake 400 degrees for about 18 minutes.
• For gravy, melt butter and saute onions until tender. Stir in flour and brown lightly. Slowly add broth. Cook until smooth and thickened.
• Blend in cream, cayenne and white pepper.
• Add meatballs and heat till boiling.

NORWEGIAN MEATBALLS - NORWAY

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix milk and 1/4 cup cornstarch until well blended.
• Add meat, onion, salt, nutmeg, pepper and egg.
• Mix until well blended.
• Cover.
• Refrigerate at least 20 minutes for easier shaping.
• Shape chilled meat mixture into 1in balls. In a 12in skillet, over med heat, heat oil until hot.
• Cook meatballs, half at a time, until browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes.
• Remove with a slotted spoon.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings, adding oil if necessary, to make 1/4 cup.
• In a med bowl, mix beef broth and remaining 1/4 cup corn starch until well blended.
• Pour into skillet.
• Over med heat, cook while stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.
• Add meatballs and reduce heat to low.
• Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
• Stir in sour cream and remove from heat.

NORWEGIAN MEATBALLS WITH SPICED CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• For meatballs:
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Combine bread and stock in large bowl. Mix in onion mixture, egg, allspice and pepper. Add ground beef and veal and blend well. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Shape meat into 1 1/4-inch balls. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and sauté until cooked through and brown, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to platter and keep warm. Reserve drippings in skillet.
• For sauce:
• Add flour to drippings in skillet and stir over medium heat until brown, about 4 minutes. Gradually whisk in stock and cream. Simmer until sauce is thick and smooth, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with allspice, salt and pepper. Pour sauce over meatballs and serve.