Nancy's Koettbullar (Swedish Meatballs)

Recipe by: Nancy Josland Dalsin

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup cream, half and half
4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1/4 cup white onion minced
1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground veal
1/4 poundground pork
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Directions:

1. Soak the bread crumbs in the half and half for 5 minutes in a 2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over low to When the foam starts to subside, add the onions and sauté them for about 2 minutes.

Let cool slightly.

3. Add the beef, veal, pork, egg nutmeg, cardamon, cloves, salt, pepper, and onions Gently combine the ingredients with your hands.

4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for a couple of hours.

5. Shape the meat mixture with your hands into uniform balls, about the size of a golf ball. Arrange them on a plate in one layer so they do not touch each other.

Let the meatballs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

6. Melt the remaining butter in a sauté pan or skillet over When the foam starts to subside, add the meatballs.

(Do not crowd the pan; unless your pan is oversized, you will have to cook the meatballs in batches and keep the cooked ones warm in a preheated 200 degree F oven.) Saute the meatballs for about 5 minutes until they become brown on all sides.

Turn them as necessary, but do so gently.

7. Transfer the 'koettbullar' to a warm platter and serve over broad noodles, mashed potatoes or as an appetizer.

Nancy's Authentic Bolognese Sauce (Ragu)

Recipe courtesy of Nancy Josland Dalsin


It is worth the time to make a large batch and freeze in portions.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 lb Italian Sausage
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 - 28-ounce can peeled, whole tomatoes; roughly chopped, strained juice

How to make it

Cooked slowly, to develope it's rich, unique flavor. It takes about four hours to prepare and cook Bolognese.

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil and add the ground meats. Sauté the meat until all the water has cooked away and the meat is sizzling. Allow the meat to brown as you stir it.

Add the finely chopped onions, carrots and celery.

Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Thoroughly mixing while continuing to cook for about 3 minutes.

Pour in the wine and cook stirring until the wine is reduced and disappears.

Turn down the heat and add the milk and nutmeg and cook until the milk is reduced and disappears. The milk tenderizes the meat.

Add the tomatoes and mix thoroughly.

Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to the least heat necessary to maintain a very slow simmer. A very slow simmer means that the air and steam bubbles that break the surface of the ragù occur only a few time each minute. DO NOT BOIL! There should be no spattering of the sauce. This step in cooking the ragù should be a slow reduction of moisture and concentration of flavors.

Cook uncovered for 3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

When done the ragù may be used immediately or refrigerated or frozen until needed.