Meatballs with an extra twist – in this case pickled red cabbage

Meatballs are a favorite in the Danish kitchen. Generally they consist of a mix of minced pork and beef added onion, flour, milk and egg. They are simple and delicious. But you can easily add a vegetable – and they will be even better, as the vegetables give them texture, taste and “juice”. If I have a stalk of celery, I might add that, or a carrot, spinach, fennel, spring onions or something else. Some times I will add a bit of chili, garlic or fresh parsley. This time I had some pickled red cabbage which is usually used as a condiment or a side for other dishes – but I did not have very much – hardly enough to make use in its original form. Therefore, I decided to try to add it to the meatballs and the result was a huge success. My point is, – you can mix and match in various ways!

Ingredients:

500 g minced pork

500 g minced beef

1 large onion finely chopped

2 dl milk (1 cup)

2 eggs

3 tbsp flour

50 grams finely choppe pickled red cabbage (or other vegetable)

1 1/2 salt

pepper to taste

A few tbsp of canola oil for frying

Method:

Finely chop the desired vegetable you would like to add – in this case I used pickled cabbage. With a hand mixer, mix the meats, the vegetables, eggs, flour, milk, onion, salt and pepper. The mince needs to be smooth, not runny. Basically, you need to be able to form “balls” with a spoon and smooth enough for frying on a pan without falling apart. If the mince is too dry, it will fall apart when frying and if too soft – they will just “run” when frying. If you find the mince too dry – add a bit more milk. If too runny – add more flour.

When the mince is good, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. With 2 spoons, scoop up a spoonful of mince at a time, shaping a meatball with the spoons. Add them to the frying pan and cook for approximately 7 minutes (it depends on the size…the larger, the longer). Try to aim for a size of a small golf ball. Fry them until brown on all sides. You will need to add extra oil to the pan for every other batch.

These can be eaten warm and cold. They are great in sandwiches as well ..or just as a finger food snack.