Swedish Meatballs With Spicy Plum Sauce

Well this one I had to change up a bit.  My husband picked this weeks dinners;  I had been avoiding this one only because I was worried that I couldn't find the pickled plums.  I did find some at a local speciality food store, but they were stuffed with cheese.  Not sure they were very pickled, despite being called that.  They looked like they were in oil.  Searching on the internet only tuned up umeboshi plums.  And a further look at those turned up that they are really apricots and seasoned a bit.  As umeboshi weren't specified, I can only assume that they were not the ones that should have been used, but they were the only I could find to buy and if I made them myself, just how should I season the pickles.  (I eventually found several recipes for pickled plums)  I also don't do veal, so I used 1 cup beef and 1 cup pork.  So, all those changes most likely contributing to this dish being a 3 for all of us.  It was odd at first, but it did grow on us.  It didn't grow on us enough to make it one we will make again.  (I did put it in the fixable file)  I thought some hot sauce helped, my husband preferred some mustard.  Afterwards, I didn't feel great.  Too rich, too sweet but mostly too sour. The meatballs themselves were pretty good, but I would like a different sauce.



Swedish Meatballs With Spicy Plum Sauce

1    /2-cup fine,dry bread crumbs
3/4 c  heavy cream
1 1/2 T  olive oil
1    medium yellow onion,minced
2/3 c  ground beef
2/3 c  ground veal
2/3 c  ground pork
2 T  honey
1    large egg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T  butter
1    large shallot,minced
1/2    red bell pepper,minced
6    pickled plums,pitted and minced
2 c  chicken broth
1/4 c  plus 2 tablespoons plum sauce

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and 1/2-cup heavy cream. Stir with
fork until smooth. Set aside. In a small saute pan over medium heat,
heat the oil and add the onion. Saute until softened but not browned,
about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine beef, veal, pork, honey,
cooked onions and egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the
bread crumb-cream mixture to the meat, and mix well. With wet hands 9to
keep the meat from sticking), shape a meatball the size of a golf ball.
If the meat is too soft to shape, more bread crumbs may be added to the
mixture. Continue shaping meatballs, placing on a plate brushed with
water. There will be about 24 meatballs. In a large skillet over medium-
high heat, melt the butter and add the meatballs. Saute, browning on
all sides, until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove to a plate,
and discard the fat from the skillet. Return skillet to heat, and add
shallots, red pepper and plums. Saute until softened and lightly
browned.   Add chicken broth, then remaining 1/
4 cup of heavy cream. Stir in plum sauce, and season to taste with salt
and pepper. Add meatballs to sauce and simmer over medium heat, until
sauce thickens slightly and meatballs are heated through, about 5
minutes. Serve.