Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (182 page)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Most of us know Swedish meatballs as lumps of flavorless ground beef or pork covered in heavy gravy that congeals as it sits. But when done right these main-course meatballs are melt-in-your-mouth tender, substantial yet delicate. To achieve the right texture, we combined beef, pork, a panade (a mixture of bread, egg, and cream), and a surprise ingredient, baking powder, which kept the meatballs delicate and juicy. Whipping the pork in a mixer with the dry ingredients before folding in the panade and beef gave our meatballs just the right amount of springiness. For the gravy, we wanted a light cream sauce instead of heavy brown one. To get this, we added a bit of cream to our stock to lighten it up and a splash of lemon juice for bright flavor.
SERVES 4 TO 6
The traditional accompaniments for Swedish meatballs are lingonberry preserves and Swedish Pickled Cucumbers (recipe follows). If you can’t find lingonberry preserves, cranberry preserves may be used. For a slightly less sweet dish, omit the brown sugar in the meatballs and reduce the brown sugar in the sauce to 2 teaspoons. A 12-inch slope-sided skillet can be used in place of the sauté pan—use 1¹⁄
2
cups of oil to fry instead of 1¹⁄
4
cups. Serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes, boiled red potatoes, or egg noodles.
MEATBALLS
1 | large egg |
¹⁄ | cup heavy cream |
1 | slice hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed and bread torn into 1-inch pieces |
8 | ounces ground pork |
¹⁄ | cup grated onion |
1¹⁄ | teaspoons salt |
1 | teaspoon packed brown sugar |
1 | teaspoon baking powder |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground nutmeg |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground allspice |
¹⁄ | teaspoon pepper |
8 | ounces 85 percent lean ground beef |
1¹⁄ | cups vegetable oil |
SAUCE
1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
1 | tablespoon all-purpose flour |
1¹⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
1 | tablespoon packed brown sugar |
¹⁄ | cup heavy cream |
2 | teaspoons lemon juice |
Salt and pepper |
1. FOR MEATBALLS:
Whisk egg and cream together in bowl. Stir in bread and set aside. Meanwhile, using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat pork, onion, salt, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, and pepper on high speed until smooth and pale, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain; add mixture to mixer bowl and beat on high speed until smooth and homogeneous, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add beef and mix on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as necessary. Using moistened hands, form generous tablespoon of meat mixture into 1-inch round meatball; repeat with remaining mixture to form 25 to 30 meatballs.
2.
Heat oil in 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat until edge of meatball dipped in oil sizzles (oil should register 350 degrees on instant-read thermometer), 3 to 5 minutes. Add meatballs in single layer and fry, flipping once halfway through cooking, until lightly browned all over and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. (Adjust heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking.) Using slotted spoon, transfer browned meatballs to paper towel–lined plate.
3. FOR SAUCE:
Pour off and discard oil in pan, leaving any browned bits behind. Return pan to medium-high heat and melt butter. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is light brown, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add sugar and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in cream and return to simmer.
4.
Add meatballs to sauce and simmer, turning occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
TO MAKE AHEAD:
Meatballs can be fried and then frozen for up to 2 weeks. To continue with recipe, thaw meatballs in refrigerator overnight and proceed from step 3, using clean pan.
MAKES 3 CUPS, ENOUGH FOR 1 RECIPE
SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Kirby cucumbers are also called pickling cucumbers. If these small cucumbers are unavailable, substitute 1 large American cucumber. Serve the pickles chilled or at room temperature.
3 | small Kirby cucumbers (1 pound), sliced into ¹⁄ |
1¹⁄ | cups white vinegar |
1¹⁄ | cups sugar |
1 | teaspoon salt |
12 | whole allspice berries |
Place cucumber slices in medium heatproof bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and allspice to simmer in small saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers and stir to separate slices. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Uncover and cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
TO MAKE AHEAD:
Pickles can be refrigerated in their liquid in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Pork chops are relatively quick-cooking, making them ideal for a simple weeknight dinner. But all too often, one bite reveals dry, tough meat. We wanted to find a simple way to guarantee the elusive juicy pork chop. We passed over hefty chops in favor of ¹⁄
2
-inch-thick, bone-in rib chops. We placed the chops in a cold pan over medium heat, then covered them. Although starting meat in a cold pan sounds odd, we found that this unconventional method was the key to tender, juicy chops. The only drawback was that starting the chops in a cold pan meant they didn’t have a chance to brown; adding a little sugar to the seasoning easily solved this problem.
SERVES 4
We prefer natural to “enhanced pork” (pork that has been injected with a salt solution to increase moistness and flavor) for this recipe. Electric burners are slower to heat than gas burners, so, if using one, begin heating the burner before seasoning the chops. Serve these simple pork chops with chutney or applesauce, or try one of the variations.
4 | (6- to 8-ounce) bone-in pork rib or center-cut chops, ¹⁄ |
1 | teaspoon vegetable oil |
Salt and pepper | |
¹⁄ | teaspoon sugar |
1.
Pat chops dry with paper towels. Cut 2 slits, about 2 inches apart, through outer layer of fat and silver skin on each chop. If using electric stove, turn burner to medium heat. Rub both sides of each chop with ¹⁄
8
teaspoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 side of each chop evenly with ¹⁄
8
teaspoon sugar, avoiding bone.
2.
Place chops, sugared side down, in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Using hands, press meat of each chop into pan. Set skillet over medium heat; cook until lightly browned, 4 to 9 minutes (chops should be sizzling after 2 minutes). Using tongs, flip chops, positioning them in same manner. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until each chop registers 145 degrees, 3 to 6 minutes (begin checking temperature after 2 minutes); chops will barely brown on second side. Transfer chops to platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes; do not discard liquid in skillet.
3.
Add any accumulated meat juices to skillet. Set skillet over high heat and simmer vigorously until reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 30 to 90 seconds; season with salt and pepper to taste. Off heat, return pork chops to skillet, turning chops to coat with reduced juices. Serve chops, browned side up, pouring any remaining juices over.
After transferring chops to platter, pour liquid in skillet into bowl. While chops are resting, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1 minced garlic clove to now-empty skillet; set skillet over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ¹⁄
4
cup low-sodium chicken broth; increase heat to high and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add pork chop juices to skillet. Off heat, whisk in 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard until combined. Stir in 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage and season with salt and pepper to taste; spoon sauce over chops and serve.
Cover ¹⁄
3
cup chopped pitted prunes with ¹⁄
4
cup brandy and let stand. After transferring chops to platter, pour liquid in skillet into bowl. While chops are resting, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and 1 minced shallot to now-empty skillet; set skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Off heat, add brandy and prunes; set skillet over medium-high heat and cook until brandy is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add pork chop juices to skillet. Off heat, whisk in 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme and 3 tablespoons butter until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste; spoon sauce over chops and serve.
To prevent pork chops from curling in a hot pan, cut two slits, about 2 inches apart, into the fat and silver skin of each chop (this method works for both bone-in and boneless chops). A flat chop will develop a better crust, cook evenly, and taste better.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Thick pork chops typically boast a juicy interior or a nicely caramelized exterior—but rarely both. We wanted it all, in one recipe. To start, we turned the conventional cooking method upside down, first cooking salted chops in a low oven, then searing them in a super hot pan. Slowly cooking the meat allowed enzymes to break down protein, tenderizing the chops. The salted surface gently dried out in the oven and became beautifully caramelized in the pan. The result was pan-seared pork chops that were perfect inside and out.
