Testing, Testing...

I have held on to a recipe for a couple of years always intending to try it. Remembering that ground pork was part of the ingredient list, I finally purchased some and got started. Now I must say that I have never heard of a Danish meatball recipe that wasn't made with a white creamy or cheesy sauce. I think I'll change the name for this one as "Spicy Cocktail Meatballs." We actually are not in favor of hot spicy foods. Well, I made it anyway. 

I baked the very small meatballs on a parchment covered cookie sheet. When more wouldn't fit, I just created burger patties with the excess and froze them for future use. While these were baking, I prepared the sauce. After removing the meatballs from the tray and patting them with paper towel to remove excess fats, I stored them in the refrigerator for two days while the sauce was aging on the counter.

*To warm them for consuming, I put the meatballs and sauce into the fermentation pot in the oven (NOT-preheated) and warmed it all for about 1/2 hour at 300°. These were served over cooked rice. Not bad. Not too hot. Tasty. Leftovers frozen.

Swedish Meatballs (A/K/A Spicy Cocktail Meatballs)

Make Ahead Sauce:

¾ cup Catsup

1 ½ tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

½ cup Water

1/4 cup Cider Vinegar

1 Tblsp Minced Onion

2 Tblsp Brown Sugar

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Place all ingredients in a jar.  Put cap on tightly and shake vigorously.

Let stand two days.

Meatballs:

2 – 3 lbs  ground chopped meat

½ lb ground pork

2 tsp prepared horseradish

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2-3 dashes Tabasco

1/3 cup Catsup

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into balls the size of prunes.

Cook over low heat until done but not brown.  Pour prepared sauce 

over meatballs and simmer thirty minutes.

These can be transferred to a crockpot to keep them warm when entertaining.  

Special Recipe

Yesterday my brother and I were discussing some foods from the past that we really liked. He mentioned a Swedish meatball that his wife used to make and remembered it being very delicious. After he left, I went to my collection of recipes and found that one. There is a history behind it. His wife and I have shared dozens of recipes through the years but I have never made this one. When I viewed it, I was surprised because I always thought Swedish meatballs were in a creamy light sauce. This one is in a red spicy sauce! Not yet, but I fully intend to make this one. We don't like hot foods but will try it anyway because the spicy ingredients don't seem to be too much in comparison with other quantities of ingredients. 

Here is its history, first of all. Back in 1966-67 she bought a cook book called "Recipes on Parade." It was made up of 2,000 favorite recipes of officers' wives from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. It contained 374 pages of meat recipes and cost $3.50. Her book was a first edition and she still has it. The particular recipe my brother remembered and liked was submitted by Mrs. George Alden, 48th USAF Grp., Lakenheath, England.

Several other editions of this book were later published, each separate with individual categories: meats, seafood and poultry, salads and appetizers, desserts, casseroles and breads, fondue and buffet, party, vegetables and fruits.

Swedish Meatballs

Make Ahead Sauce:

¾ cup Catsup

1 ½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp Pepper

½ cup Water

14 cup Cider Vinegar

1 Tbsp Minced Onion

2 Tbls Brown Sugar

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Place all ingredients in a jar.  Put cap on tightly and shake vigorously.

Let stand two days.

Meatballs:

2 – 3 lbs  ground chop meat

½ lb ground pork

2 Tsp prepared horseradish

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2-3 dashes Tabasco

1/3 cup Catsup

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Accent

Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into balls the size of prunes.

Cook over low heat until done but not brown.  Pour prepared sauce 

over meatballs and simmer thirty minutes.

These can be transferred to a crockpot to keep them warm when entertaining.