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Norwegian Meatballs

Erken's Norwegian meatballs from 1914: 1 kg trimmed meat and 125 g kidney suet are ground twice with potato starch, salt, and pepper, moistened with about 2.5 dl cold water, shaped into small round cakes, and fried brown in butter or fat; served with browned onions. Boiled potatoes can be ground in to stretch the mixture.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 180 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Erken's basic recipe for meatballs as it appears in "Stor kokebok" (1914) in the chapter on meat. Kidney suet was used to add juiciness to lean meat, and boiled potatoes could be ground in to "stretch the food" — a common household trick of the era.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Grind the meat

    Cut the meat and kidney suet into small pieces and grind twice. If you want to stretch the mixture, grind in 100 g boiled potatoes during the second grinding.

  2. 2

    Mix the mixture

    Stir in the potato starch, pepper, and salt. Moisten with the cold water a little at a time until the mixture is smooth and pliable.

  3. 3

    Shape the cakes

    Shape small, round cakes on a moistened board with two knives dipped in cold water. Score the cakes lightly on both sides with the knife.

  4. 4

    Fry

    Fry the cakes nicely brown in butter or fat over medium heat, about 4–5 minutes on each side.

  5. 5

    Serve

    Brown the onions in the pan and lay them over the cakes. Serve on the same platter.

Changes from the original

Measurements have been converted to modern units (deciliters, grams, teaspoons), "potetesmel" is called potato starch, and "kidney suet" has been kept with an alternative (can be replaced with fat/butter). The method is written in modern Norwegian and divided into steps; alternatively the ground meat can be bought pre-ground and run once more through a grinder or food processor.

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Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

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Fra19141949Modernisert
Til19141949Modernisert
1914 (korrekturlest, s. 180) → 1949 (korrekturlest, s. 209)~85% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til
Kjøttkaker I. 1 kg. renskaaret kjøt 125 renskåret oksekjøtt, bog 3 teskjeer salt 100 gr. nyretalg ca. ¼ 1. koldt vand 10 eller flesk 50 gr. potetesmel 3 teskeer salt 1/2 — 3/4 l. melk eller vann 1 teske teskje pepper 100 1/2 — ingefær 1/2 — muskatblomme 40 gr. hvetemel 50 gr. smør eller fett. fett 1/2 l. kjøttkraft, grønnsaker eller potetvann. Kjøttet og talgen skjæres smaat og males 2 med saltet 5 ganger, potetesmelet, pepper de to siste ganger sammen med flesket eller talgen, arbeides godt med krydderiene og salt røres i, ispædes vandet potetesmelet, spes litt efter litt. Paa litt med den fugtede fjæl kokte, kolde melk, dannes nu med 2 kniver, dyppet i koldt vand, smaa tykke, runde kaker, disse hakkes paa begge sider med kniven. Stekes pent brune som pådrysses litt mel, brunes i smør eller fett. Løk brunes og serveres paa samme fat. (Se regler for stekning av kjøt.) Til 1 kg. kjøt kan tages 100 50 gr. kokte poteter, males sammen 2 ganger. Det er godt, smør brunes, irøres melet, og det drøier maten. når dette er pent brunt, spes kraften, kokt av skrellingene fra kjøttet, i. Kakene koker i sausen 6—8 minutter. Salt efter smak.

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Frequently asked questions

What meat and fat are used?
1 kg trimmed meat and 125 g kidney suet, cut small and ground twice together. The cakes are fried in 100 g butter or fat.
How do I get the mixture firm enough?
Stir in 10 g potato starch, 3 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, and moisten with about ¼ liter cold water a little at a time. Shape the cakes on a moistened board with two knives dipped in cold water, and score them on both sides.
Can I stretch the mixture?
Yes, for 1 kg of meat you can add 100 g boiled potatoes ground together with the meat twice. The book says it is good and stretches the food.
What is it served with?
Onions are browned and served on the same platter as the meatballs. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 180, and makes 6 servings.

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