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Jim Dixon wrote about food for WW for more than 20 years, but these days most of his time is spent at his olive oil-focused specialty food business Wellspent Market. Jim’s always loved to eat, and he encourages his customers to cook by sending them recipes every week through his newsletter. We’re happy to have him back creating some special dishes just for WW readers.
After Ikea closed its stores during the early days of the pandemic, the Swedish company decided to release the recipe for its mysteriously famous meatballs. Called köttbullar (SHUT-boo-lahr), they’re made with a mix of ground beef and pork seasoned with onion and garlic and held together with eggs and breadcrumbs.
The gravy that comes with the meaty spheres is basically a velouté, the classic French sauce made with a light roux and stock. There’s also a perhaps surprising dash of soy sauce along with some cream, which makes it rich, and, well, creamy.
Neither meatball nor gravy offers much beyond meaty umami and rich creaminess, both perfectly fine but representative of a missed opportunity for more flavor. With a few extra ingredients you can make meatballs that taste much better than the ones you eat after shopping for furniture. I call them bättre—Swedish for better—meatballs.
The meatballs get more flavor from a little celery and a shot of fish sauce, and mixing in some mashed sweet potato lightens them up a bit. The same fish sauce, along with a splash of Worcestershire, gives the gravy a needed bump. When you’re ready to eat, a drizzle of tart pomegranate molasses replaces the overly sweet lingonberry jam. While I’ve got nothing against mashed potatoes as a vehicle for meat and gravy, I think these are best on a bed of rice.
Bättre Meatballs
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 small white-fleshed sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup panko-style breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons salt
Gravy
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup water or stock
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cook the sweet potato in the microwave, covered, with a splash of water until tender. Or boil until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mash with a fork.
Cook the shallot in a little olive oil until lightly browned. Add celery and garlic, cook for another few minutes, and remove from heat. Add to the mashed sweet potato with the fish sauce and mix well. Add the ground meats and eggs, mix, then add the panko and mix again.
Form rough spheres of the meatball mix—about the size of golf balls. Arrange them in a skillet or on a baking sheet with a little space between them. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
To make the gravy, melt the butter with the olive oil in a saucepan or small skillet, then add the flour. Stir together and let the roux cook for a couple of minutes, then add water. Mix well and let bubble for a couple of minutes, then add cream and remaining ingredients. Let the gravy come to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
Serve the meatballs with rice, and spoon gravy over everything. Drizzle with a little pomegranate molasses at the table.