Lihapullat

Lihapullat (Finnish Meatballs)

Lihapullat are beloved Finnish meatballs, traditionally a blend of beef and pork bound with onion-soaked bread, eggs, and warm spices. They are served as is for snacks, with boiled potatoes, or in a creamy brown sauce as a main.

Prep

25 min

Cook

20 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz) ground beef, around 15% fat
• •200 g (7 oz) ground pork
• •100 g (3½ oz) day-old white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks; soak in milk below
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) whole milk, for soaking the bread
• •1 medium yellow onion, finely grated or finely chopped
• •2 large eggs
• •1 tsp salt
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) ground white pepper, or fine black pepper
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) ground allspice, the characteristic Finnish warmth
• •0.25 tsp (¼ tsp) ground nutmeg
• •1 tbsp butter, for the pan
• •1 tbsp neutral oil, for frying

Steps

1. 1 Soak the torn bread in the milk for 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess milk so the mixture is damp but not soggy. Tear the soaked bread into small pieces.
2. 2 In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, soaked bread, grated onion, eggs, salt, white pepper, allspice, and nutmeg. Mix gently with your hands just until evenly combined; do not overwork or the meatballs turn tough.
3. 3 Wet your hands and roll the mixture into 24 to 28 balls, about 35 g each.
4. 4 Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter foams. Add the meatballs in a single layer without crowding; brown in batches for 8 to 10 minutes total, turning often, until deep golden and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 74 °C / 165 °F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball.
5. 5 If cooking in batches, keep the finished meatballs warm on a covered plate while the rest brown. Serve hot with lingonberry jam, boiled potatoes, and a sprinkle of fresh dill, or transfer to a pan sauce (cream, stock, and a splash of soy) to make kastike.
6. 6 Storage note: Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze cooked meatballs on a tray until solid, then bag and freeze up to 2 months.