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.

Norwegian Meatballs

Name: Norwegian Meatballs
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients: 1 kg trimmed meat (beef or mixed); 125 g kidney suet (can be replaced with other fat); 2.5 dl cold water (approx.); 10 g potato starch; 3 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper; 100 g butter or fat (for frying); 100 g boiled potatoes (optional, ground in with the meat); 2 pcs onions (for the browned onions at serving)

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

Equipment for this dish

Meat grinder →Erken ground her own forcemeat – your own grinder lets you control fat and coarseness.Foodstuff.no

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