Smoked Swedish Meatballs with Gravy
Cook Notes
BBQ Used: Kamado Joe Classic II
Cooking Method: Indirect (Gravy made in Petromax 35cm skillet)
Fuel used: Kamado Joe Big Block Charcoal
Cooking Temperature: 200c
Smoking Wood: Cherry
Ingredients
1kg Minced Beef
3 slices of white bread, crumbed
125ml milk
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 egg yolks
For the Gravy
60g unsalted butter
3 tbsp flour
1L beef stock
85ml double cream
salt & pepper, to season
Served with creamy mashed potatoes
Method
Add the breadcrumbs to a large mixing bowl and add the milk. Mix this together to create a slurry then add the black pepper, all spice, nutmeg, dijon mustard and onion. Mix all the ingredients through the slurry then add your beef mince and egg yolks. Get in there with your hands and mix everything together until you achieve a primary bind. This is when the mince has been worked to a point where the slurry is completely incorporated and it holds together.
Form the mixture into meatballs a little smaller than a golf ball. The idea is to have lots of smaller meatballs on your plate rather than a few large ones.
Setup the Kamado Joe with a with the accessory rack on the lowest level and your temperature set to around 200c. Add a large skillet to the accessory rack and pre heat. We are going to use this skillet to make our gravy but it also acts as a drip pan when we place the meatballs on the cooking grate directly over it. As the meatballs cook and the gravy starts to thicken, the skillet will catch all the drippings intensifying the flavour.
Add the butter to the skillet and when completely melted, add it the flour and stir with a whisk to form a roux. Cook the roux for a few minutes until you notice a "biscuity" smell coming from it then add your cold beef stock. Mix the roux into the beef stock with the whisk until incorporated.
Add a chunk of cherry wood to the coals then place your divide and conquer cooking crates on the highest level. Arrange the meatballs on the cooking grate so they are directly over the skillet. Close the lid and smoke the meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 68-70c. Keep an eye on your skillet throughout the cook and if you feel the gravy is reducing too fast, top it up with a little more beef stock.
When the meatballs have reached their internal temperature, remove them from the BBQ and set to one side while you finish off the gravy. By the time the meatballs are cooked, the gravy will usually be reduced by half but if it still needs a little longer then leave it be. When you are happy, add the double cream and mix together with a whisk. Season the gravy with salt & pepper then add your meatballs back in. Toss the meatballs to coat them in the gravy and you are ready to serve.
Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with mashed potatoes so who am I to fight the traditions. Good mashed potatoes need nothing more than a little salt and a lot of butter. Spoon the mashed potatoes into a bowl then place the meatballs and gravy on top. Enjoy!
