Swedish-Style Meatballs with Spiced Red Cabbage and Cranberry & Apple Sauce
Juicy pork and beef meatballs are gently cooked and finished in a rich, creamy gravy infused with warming spices and a hint of smoke. Paired with fragrant spiced red cabbage and a sweet-tart cranberry and apple sauce, this dish delivers a comforting balance of savoury depth and festive brightness.
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
500g pork mince
500g beef mince
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
75g breadcrumbs, soaked in milk
½ tsp allspice
Salt & pepper
25g butter
25g flour
500ml beef stock
200ml double cream
½ tsp nutmeg
Salt & pepper
Chopped parsley
SPICED CABBAGE
½ red cabbage
Zest and juice of an orange
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
½ tsp mixed spice
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper
CRANBERRY AND APPLE SAUCE
150g cranberries
1 large tart apple diced
150ml apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
½ tsp mixed spice
75g brown sugar
Zest of a lemon
Method
MEATBALL METHOD
1. Blitz the onion and garlic into a paste and add to the soaked breadcrumbs along with the finely chopped parsley, allspice and salt & pepper and mix all together.
2. Add the mince and thoroughly combine then divide into even balls.
3. Set the BBQ up for indirect cooking; for cooking meatballs, I prefer a fire in the middle and then place the meatballs all around the outside at an equal distance from the heat. At this point you can also add a lump of wood for a kiss of smoke, if you like.
4. When the meatballs are almost cooked, place a skillet directly over the fire in the middle, melt the butter and add the flour and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the stock and simmer while the meatballs finish cooking.
6. When the stock has reduced by half, whisk in the double cream and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the meatballs to the sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
CABBAGE METHOD
1. Slice the red cabbage, add to a skillet with the rest of the ingredients and cook directly, making sure to stir every couple of minutes.
CRANBERRY AND APPLE SAUCE
1. Add everything to a skillet and simmer for around 10–15 minutes until the cranberries have collapsed. This will keep in a jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
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Method
MEATBALL METHOD
1. Blitz the onion and garlic into a paste and add to the soaked breadcrumbs along with the finely chopped parsley, allspice and salt & pepper and mix all together.
2. Add the mince and thoroughly combine then divide into even balls.
3. Set the BBQ up for indirect cooking; for cooking meatballs, I prefer a fire in the middle and then place the meatballs all around the outside at an equal distance from the heat. At this point you can also add a lump of wood for a kiss of smoke, if you like.
4. When the meatballs are almost cooked, place a skillet directly over the fire in the middle, melt the butter and add the flour and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the stock and simmer while the meatballs finish cooking.
6. When the stock has reduced by half, whisk in the double cream and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the meatballs to the sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
CABBAGE METHOD
1. Slice the red cabbage, add to a skillet with the rest of the ingredients and cook directly, making sure to stir every couple of minutes.
CRANBERRY AND APPLE SAUCE
1. Add everything to a skillet and simmer for around 10–15 minutes until the cranberries have collapsed. This will keep in a jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
