Swedish Meatballs

   1 pound ground bison
   1 pound ground pork
   1/4 cup oatmeal
   1 cup water
   2 egg yolks
   1 teaspoon salt
   1/4 teaspoon pepper
   1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
   1/4 teaspoon allspice

   Shopping: Boneless pork chops grind beautifully and don't leave any gristly
   bits, but they are short on flavor and don't generate any drippings. I still
   don't know what the optimal pork cut is to buy. Fred Meyer's meat counter has
   good quality ground sirloin beef. This has good flavor and texture.

   Timing: Make the meat mixture and cranberries ahead of time. Leave 45 minutes
   to make the meatballs and gravy; i.e. start 45 minutes before mealtime. If
   you are making mashed potatoes, put the peeled cut up potatoes into boiling
   water about 25 minutes ahead of time.

   Put ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with a spoon initially.
   Once the mixture is somewhat combined, put the bowl on the mixer and mix on
   low speed for about a minute. Then mix on higher speed for 4-8 minutes. Watch
   the mixture. When it's ready, the mixture will look different. It will be
   lighter in color and fluffy. When done, stop the mixer and remove the mixer
   from the stand.

   Get out three large plates. Make ready a container with about a pint of water
   in it. Use the small ice cream scoop and a thin spatula to form meatballs. Do
   not make the balls much larger than a level scoop full. Dip the scoop into
   the water and flick the lever a couple of times every so often.

   Set the oven to 250F. Put a casserole dish in to warm.

   In a 12" skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter on high heat. When the butter
   has melted, begin adding meatballs. Put them right next to each other without
   touching. You should be able to cook them all in two batches.

   Don't let the butter start smoking. If it does, turn down the burner for
   awhile. Don't touch the meatballs until the first one you put in is quite
   browned on the bottom, 4-5 minutes. You will know the meatballs are done on
   the bottom when they release from the skillet with no effort. Using tongs,
   turn the meatballs. I like to pick up a meatball and drop it onto the edge of
   the next one so it rolls over by itself. Much easier than trying to
   manipulate them by hand.

   Clean one of the meatball plates and put a paper towel on it. When the first
   batch of meatballs is done, remove them to the paper towel and add the second
   batch to the skillet. Cook these until they are done as above. Pile them onto
   the first batch, all on one plate. Reserve all of the pan drippings. After
   awhile, put all the meatballs in the casserole dish in the oven.

   Now it's time to make the gravy.

   pan drippings from meatball recipe above
   1/4 cup flour
   2 cans beef broth
   1 teaspoon beef bouillon (optional)
   some freshly ground black pepper

   Add the flour to the hot pan from above and whisk to make a roux of sorts.
   Add a little more butter if necessary. When the dripping and flour have
   combined into a smooth mixture, add the remaining ingredients. Use the gravy
   whisk and whisk briskly to deglaze the pan and combine the roux with the
   liquid. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 4-8 minutes until it no longer
   tastes like raw flour. Taste and adjust seasonings. Turn pan off.

   Pour the gravy over the meatballs. It should just about cover them. Either
   serve them at once or let cool and reheat before serving. Cover and keep in
   the warming oven as long as needed.

   Serve with mashed potatoes and cranberries. Cranberries are an excellent
   substitute for lingonberries. They taste almost identical.


   Yield: 48 meatballs plus just enough gravy. I suggest having one person serve
   for everyone so the gravy is apportioned out correctly.