Swedish Meatballs

I wanted to add another European recipe to my blog so I made this classic. Since my recipes are semi gluten-free I replaced bread crumbs with einkorn flour. For the sauce instead of heavy cream or sour cream I used kefir, which tastes similar to sour cream. Kefir is something I use as a substitute for sour cream, yogurt, and buttermilk in recipes. I used mushroom broth for this recipe since I can save money by just making it with dried mushrooms and a pressure cooker. But you can use beef broth or even vegetable broth. And apparently you can make Swedish meatballs in a mini pressure-cooker, so that's what I did.

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To make a quick homemade broth in a pressure cooker:

• Beef Broth: Add 1.5 cups water and 4 oz browned beef bones to a pressure cooker. Cook on high for 30 minutes.
• Vegetable Broth: Add 1.5 cups water and 4 oz browned vegetables to a pressure cooker. Cook on high for 15 minutes.
• Mushroom Broth: Add 1.5 cups water and 1/3 cup dried mushrooms to a pressure cooker. Cook on high for 5 minutes.

Refrigerate or freeze 1 cup of broth for another recipe and keep 1/2 cup for this recipe.

Meatballs:

• 2.5 oz (71g) ground beef
• 2.5 oz (71g) ground pork
• 1 tbsp (6g) einkorn flour
• 1 tbsp (15g) finely minced onion
• 1 tbsp (15g) kefir(I used Kalona Supernatural Organic Grass-fed Kefir)
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground allspice berries (ground with a mortar and pestle)
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tbsp (15g) avocado oil for searing

Cream Sauce:

• 1/2 cup (120g) homemade or store-bought beef, vegetable, or mushroom broth
• 1/4 cup (60g) kefir
• 1 tsp (5g) Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp (12g) einkorn flour, mixed with a little cold water to form a slurry
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Meatballs: In a bowl, mix the ground beef, ground pork, einkorn flour, onion, kefir, Dijon, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, freshly ground allspice, and fresh-grated nutmeg. Form into small meatballs (about 1-inch in diameter).
2. Sear the Meatballs (Optional but Recommended): Set the pressure cooker to Sauté mode and heat the avocado oil. Brown the meatballs on both sides for added flavor. The meatballs will naturally unstick from the stainless steel when they brown. Remove and set aside.
3. Deglaze the Pot: Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot to prevent burning and add flavor.
4. Pressure Cook the Meatballs: Place the meatballs in the broth. Close the lid, set the pressure cooker to High Pressure for 5 minutes, and immediately release the steam once the time is up.
5. Make the Sauce: Remove the meatballs and set the cooker back to Sauté mode. Stir in the kefir, Dijon, and Worcestershire. Bring the sauce to a boil before adding the slurry.
6. Thicken the Sauce: In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp einkorn flour with 1 tbsp cold water to create a slurry. Gradually whisk the slurry into the boiling sauce and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Finish: Return the meatballs to the pot and coat them in the sauce.
8. Serve: Enjoy as-is or serve with pasta or mashed potatoes. For a keto version serve with hearts of palm pasta or mashed celery root.