Grandmother’s Meatballs

No soy sauce, no black pepper, no bread crumbs, no garlic, no chili, no milk, none of the ingredients that have bastardised the recipe for old-fashioned meatballs. Not Italian, not Greek, not even Swedish style, but good old grandmother’s Finnish meatballs. Here’s the recipe:

– 500g of mince meat (important to have at least 40% pork, max 60%, rest beef)

– 1 egg

– 1 or 2 teaspoon salt

– 1 onion pre-softened until translucent on the pan

– a bit less than half a teaspoon ground allspice

– 5 tablespoons wheat flour

Mix it all together, it will look quite dry which is how it should be. Make little patties and cover them in additional flour before frying on the pan, preferably in some butter which you paste over the meatballs as they cook and brown. The secret is the allspice.