Mom's Norwegian Meatballs
/If you ask a Norwegian-American what main dish they remember best from their childhood, I would wager that while some would say lutefisk because that's just synonymous with Norwegian cuisine here in the U.S., a majority might just say something else.
Truthfully, not everyone likes lutefisk--not even every Norwegian. It is most definitely an acquired taste (and often a never-acquired taste) for some. Cod which has been dried and treated with lye and then soaked in water for days on end to rehydrate it before it's boiled is probably something not a lot of people can envision eating.
A bowl of lutefisk served at Drugan's Country Club in Holmen, WI. By Jonathunder - Own work, GFDL 1.2, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56676181
My dad was the lutefisk expert in our house. He was in charge of soaking the fish and changing out the water daily until the lye was sufficiently released. He did have expertise in knowing exactly how to cook it so it didn't fall to pieces or turn to jelly. It was always flaky when he made it. All the drawn butter served on top was pretty tasty, too.
Still, that isn't the dish I would claim as my favorite. That title would go to my Mom's Norwegian meatballs. I have no idea how many thousands she must have made between all the church meatball dinners and the holidays at home. She even made 900 of them--appetizer-sized--for my wedding reception. I'm sure they were as delicious as always, but I couldn't tell you from personal experience. They were gone before I got to the table.
The Difference Between Swedish Meatballs and Norwegian Meatballs
These meatballs are different from their Swedish counterparts in that they are boiled, not pan-fried. Stay with me here. I know boiling hamburger just doesn't sound right, but don't judge until you taste them. In this case, boiled is a good thing.
Norwegians boiled a lot of meat in the old days. They canned it, too. The climate in Norway and in the upper Midwest dictated that things had to be preserved in a variety of creative ways for the winter months.
Norwegian meatballs are still served during the holidays at church dinners throughout the Midwest. Most Norwegian Lutheran women have their own family recipe for them or have helped make them for those church gatherings.
While some people use a combination of beef and pork or beef and veal, Mom just used ground beef. I remember watching her grind the meat when I was little. Her mom's cast iron meat grinder was clamped to the counter as she poked the already-ground meat into the top along with chunks of onions and cranked the handle repeatedly. Then she switched out the bowl and did it again. And again.
Old-fashioned meat grinder
I asked her why she had to grind ground beef in the first place. It didn't make sense to me. She said the meat should be ground as fine as possible for a tender meatball. She was right. These meatballs, when made correctly, are light as a feather.
Grinding the meat is the only way to get that fine texture. A food processor or a mixer would only overwork the meat and render it tough. So, even though I have made these without grinding the beef myself to save time upon occasion and they taste good, I can't stress enough that if you have a meat grinder, use it for these. I have one on my Kitchenaid mixer that works like a charm.
Tips For Cooking The Meatballs
As I mentioned, you can make these without the additional grinding. If you do, then mince your onions and add them to the mixture instead of grinding them with the meat.
The meatball mixture will likely seem very loose to you. That is perfectly normal. The eggs and the cornstarch will hold it together just fine when they boil.
Rolling the meatballs takes the most time. You could probably use a two ounce scoop instead of rolling them, but the outer texture would not be as smooth. Besides, there is just something satisfying about the messy, rolling process. It's part of the meatball-making tradition.
Dipping your hands in warm water along the way as you roll is the only way to keep the mixture from sticking to your hands. Keep a bowl of water next to you as you roll to make it easier.
Do not overboil the meatballs. A slow simmering boil is critical. If you boil them too hard or for too long, they will lose moisture and their light texture.
While it isn't absolutely necessary to do so, I strain the broth after cooking. It makes a smoother gravy.
Thickening the broth is traditionally done by making a slurry out of flour and water. I prefer to make a roux using flour and butter. The gravy is a little richer that way.
Modifications and Substitutions: You can use ground turkey instead of beef and boil them in chicken broth. I have also used a combination of beef broth and chicken broth for the beef version for a lighter gravy.
Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes and of course, lefse!
Here's the recipe, or as Mom would have said, "Vær så god." (Here you are!)
