kjøttkaker med brunost

kjøttkaker med brunost

Norwegian Meat Cakes in Gjetost Cheese Sauce

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(but the notes are useful)

I was first served this dish by a friend in a beautiful little town called Vormsund in southeastern Norway. It wasn't touted as anything special; it's the sort of thing any mom might whip up for supper on a busy weeknight. But I thought it was fabulous and I had to have the recipe. As you might guess, there was no recipe. The following week we made it together.

Ground reindeer meat was mixed with spices, egg, milk, and breadcrumbs, and then formed into football shaped patties. They were fried in butter and then simmered in beef stock. The sauce was finished with sour cream and gjetost cheese, and graced with a spoonful of lingonberry preserves.

Back in the States, I had to improvise. My local Orlando supermarket was fresh out of ground reindeer. Not to worry; Although it's not quite so exotic, Norwegians most often make kjøttkaker with ground beef. Venison works beautifully as well, and I've also made them with ground lamb, which was fabulous. But again, beef is the most common way.

But . . . if you keep kosher (or you’re vegetarian), you’ve probably already got red lights flashing in your head . . .

If you keep kosher this recipe isn't for you. The combination of meat and dairy is forbidden under Jewish law. And, obviously, if you're vegetarian it's not for you, either.

Or it wasn't, back then . . .

Enter plant-based meat substitutes. My kjøttkaker came out great when made with a pound of impossible burger. Vegetarian and kosher! My kids, who remembered this dish from Norway, were thrilled.

Now everyone can enjoy kjøttkaker!

For a quick weeknight supper, most Norwegians make the sauce in the pan with the kjøttkaker. Brown cheese sauce is usually for special dishes, but I love this sauce and think it really makes the dish.

Gjetost, or brown cheese as it's often called, is made from cooking down the (goat’s milk) whey that's generally poured off in the cheese making process. Norwegian kids down this stuff the way American kids eat peanut butter. It's the color of caramel—soft and buttery and sweet, and also a bit tangy. I love it, especially when it's stuffed inside a Norwegian waffle. (Which, by the way, is eaten in hand like a taco, and never flat on a plate with maple syrup.) Not every grocery store in the U.S. carries this cheese, but if you have a Whole Foods near you, they always have it in stock. It's not certified kosher (there aren’t enough Jews in Norwegian for companies to concern themselves about that), but it's rennet-free and not traif. You can also find it on Amazon. Get the regular, in the red package, not the ekte, as it's too strong for this dish. If you don’t want to use it, just leave it out. No substitutes. The dish will be missing a certain WOW! factor, but it will still be very good.

Many Norwegian cooks use potato starch in their kjøttkaker, but others use bread crumbs. I've made them both ways and prefer making them with bread crumbs, as it gives them a lighter texture. And, although this is not the reason I use the bread crumbs, it also makes the meat go further.

It's common to simmer the fried meat cakes in stock and to then remove them from the stock and add a roux to the stock to make the gravy at the end. I've simplified the process. When the meat cakes are browned on both sides, I remove them from the pan. Then I make a roux with 2 tablespoons each, butter (use vegan butter if going non-dairy) and flour in the same pan, add the stock and spices, and then return the meat cakes to the pan to simmer for 15 minutes. I stir in the rest of the ingredients for the sauce at the end.

I think that there's a law, written somewhere, that says you must serve kjøttkaker with boiled potatoes. It's also very common to serve creamed cabbage on the side, but other vegetables are sometimes used. And, you’ve got to have some lingonberry preserves on the plate. (You can use whole berry cranberry sauce in a pinch, but it’s not quite the same.)

Norwegian Meat Cakes in Brown Cheese Sauce

Kjøttkaker med Brunost

This recipe can be doubled

Ingredients:

For the meat cakes

1 pound impossible™ ground beef, or actual ground beef (or venison, or reindeer)

¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

¼ to ½ teaspoon each, to taste: nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom

a few twists of the pepper mill

1 clove garlic, minced (not traditional, but I put garlic in almost everything)

1 egg

⅔ cup bread crumbs

½ cup milk, nut milk, or water

butter for frying—you can use vegan butter (the sticks, not the tub) or a neutral oil

parsley for garnish, optional

small boiled potatoes, 1 or 2 per person

For the sauce

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) butter

¼ cup flour

⅓ cup red wine or sherry, optional (not traditional, but adds a nice touch)

3 cups stock (meat stock, or 3 teaspoons no-chicken or no-beef bouillon and 3 cups water)

a dash of Kitchen Bouquet™—optional, but especially good if using a light colored stock

¼ teaspoon (or to taste) nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom

6 juniper berries, bruised with the flat side of a chef's knife

a few twists of the pepper mill

½ onion, left intact

4 slices (or so) gjetost (Norwegian brown cheese), sliced with a cheese plane

¼ to ⅓ cup sour cream (or vegan substitute)

2 to 3 tablespoons lingonberry preserves

Method:

For the meat cakes

• Combine all ingredients for the meat cakes in a bowl and knead them well, with wet hands. If the mixture feels too loose, add a bit more bread crumbs. If it's too dry, add a bit more milk. It should be soft, but hold together. If you're really adverse to using your hands, you can do this in a stand mixer.

• Make football-shaped patties, using an ice cream scoop as a measure—or make them smaller if you'd like.

• In a large skillet, fry the patties in just enough butter, to keep them from sticking, flattening them out a bit when you put them in the pan. When they're browned on the bottom, turn them, and brown them on the other side. Then remove them from the pan. Note: don't worry about the patties being cooked through. They'll cook further in the sauce.

• Meanwhile, boil your potatoes in salted water until tender but still firm. The number of potatoes will depend upon their size, and the number of people at the table. While they’re still hot, hold each one in a paper towel and use the towel to rub off the skins.

• Make the creamed cabbage, or steam any vegetables (or combo) that you'd like to use. Carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower work well.

For the sauce

• Melt the butter in the pan and add the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour begins to turn golden.

• Add the wine or sherry if using, and cook, stirring, until it's mostly evaporated.

• Slowly pour in the stock, stirring constantly, until the sauce is well combined and simmering gently. Stir in the spices.

• Place the 1/2 onion in the center of the skillet, cut side down, and add the kjøttkaker back into the sauce. Cover the pan and simmer, gently, for 15 minutes.

• Add the meat cakes back to the pan, arranging them around the onion. Cover the pan and simmer over a low flame for 15 minutes.

• Remove the cover and discard the onion. If you can find the juniper berries in the sauce, remove them, too. If you can't, just let diners know that they're to be pushed to the side and not eaten. (my husband eats them)

• Push the kjøttkaker to one side of the pan so that they’re out of the way, and stir the sour cream, the brown cheese, and the lingonberries into the sauce. Stir gently so as not to damage the kjøttkaker. Then gently nudge the patties back into the sauce.

• Let the mixture cook for a few minutes more, until the sauce is thickened and homogenous. If it's too thick, add a bit more stock.

• Cook for a few minutes more, for the flavors to marry. Taste for seasoning. If the gravy is too thin, simmer it for a few more minutes, uncovered, until thickened. If it's too thick, thin it with a bit more stock. Know that the gravy will thicken upon standing.

• Serve the kjøttkaker in their gravy, with the potatoes, and sprinkle them with a little chopped parsley for color. Serve the vegetables alongside the meat and potatoes. Offer additional lingonberry preserves in a nice little bowl, or put a generous spoonful on each plate.

Did you make it? Was it fabulous?