Finnish Meatballs Recipes

FINNISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk just until steaming. Remove from heat and press bread into the milk; set aside.
• Grate cheese on large holes of a box grater and place in large bowl. Add parsley, onion, eggs, salt, white pepper, black pepper and allspice. Stir well to combine. Add ground beef, ground pork and milk-soaked bread. Knead by hand or mix with a large wooden spoon until well-blended.
• Spread flour on a plate. Roll meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, and roll in flour to coat. Place a Dutch oven over very low heat, and add broth. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Working in batches, add enough meatballs to loosely fill pan. Sear for about 1 minute, then shake pan to turn meatballs. Continue until well browned on all sides, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Transfer meatballs to Dutch oven and allow them to gently simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring carefully from time to time. Add cream and heat just until warmed. If desired, serve with small potatoes or egg noodles that have been tossed with butter and parsley.

FINNISH MEATBALLS (LIHAPYORYKOITA)

Steps:

• Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, cream, salt, and allspice in a bowl with your hands until evenly mixed. Roll the mixture into golf ball-sized spheres.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook about half the meatballs in the melted butter until evenly browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes; remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs, keeping the liquid in the skillet when finished.
• Sift the flour into the skillet drippings; cook the flour in the skillet drippings until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stream the milk into the skillet while whisking vigorously; pour the cream into the mixture and stir until smooth. If you aren't good at making gravy and end up with some lumps you can pour the gravy through a strainer. Return all the meatballs to the skillet; stir to coat with the gravy. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

FRIKADELLER (DANISH MEATBALLS)

Steps:

• Mix the veal and pork together in a bowl, and stir in the milk, onion, and egg. Mix the bread crumbs into the meat. Sprinkle in the flour, and knead well to mix. Stir in the seltzer water, season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well. The mixture should be very moist, but not dripping.
• Chill the meat mixture for 15 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator, to make the meatballs easier to form.
• Heat the margarine in a large skillet over medium heat.
• To form meatballs, scoop up about 2 1/2 tablespoons of meat mixture with a large spoon, and form the mixture into a slightly flattened, oval meatball about the size of a small egg. Place the meatballs into the heated skillet, and fry for about 15 minutes per side, until the meatballs are well-browned and no longer pink in the center.

FINNISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Mix the bread crumbs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the bread crumbs to absorb the liquid. In a separate bowl, combine the ground meats, thyme, garlic, and grated onion. After the meat mixture is combined, form a well in the center of the meat. Pour the beaten egg in the well. Using a fork, mix the bread crumbs into the egg. With your hands, mix all the ingredients together until just combined; don't overwork the meat or the meatballs will be dense. For ease in forming the balls, chill the mixture for 30 minutes.
• To form the meat balls, dip your hands into water, then roll the meat into balls about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. This is a soft dough, so don't worry of the meatballs are not perfectly round.
• Heat in a large skillet, add the oil, and then add the meatballs to the skillet. Sear the meatballs over medium to high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. When the meatballs are evenly browned on all sides, add the water to the pan and continue cooking over low heat, shaking the pan occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a lingonberry or cranberry relish.

FINNISH MEATBALLS - LIHAPYORYKOITA

Steps:

• Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, cream, salt, and allspice in a bowl with your hands until evenly mixed. Roll the mixture into golf ball-sized balls.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook about half the meatballs in the melted butter until evenly browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes; remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs, keeping the liquid in the skillet when finished.
• Sift the flour into the skillet drippings; cook the flour in the skillet drippings until brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stream the milk into the skillet while whisking vigorously; pour the cream into the mixture and stir until smooth. If you end up with some lumps you can pour the gravy through a strainer. Return all the meatballs to the skillet; stir to coat with the gravy. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.