Kjøttkaker (Norwegian Meat Cakes in Brown Gravy)
Norway's everyday comfort food: tender beef patties spiced with nutmeg and ginger, simmered in rich brown gravy with boiled potatoes and lingonberries.
Method
Cut the peeled potatoes into even pieces. Put them in a 18 cm pot with enough cold water to cover and the salt, bring to the boil over high heat, then lower to medium heat and cook for , until a skewer slides in easily. Drain, cover and keep warm. Make the meat cakes while they cook.
Add in this stepPotatoes, peeled 400 gSalt (for the potato water) 1 tsp
high heat→medium heatKnead the minced beef with the salt for the meat by hand for , until it turns sticky and clings to the bowl; this is what makes the cakes hold together and stay juicy. Add the potato starch, pepper, nutmeg and ginger, then work in the milk a little at a time, kneading until each addition is absorbed. A very soft, slightly sticky mixture is exactly right.
Add in this stepMinced beef (15–20 % fat) 250 gSalt (for the meat) ¾ tspPotato starch 3 tspBlack pepper 1 pinchGround nutmeg 1 pinchGround ginger 1 pinchCold milk 100 ml
With wet hands, divide the mixture into ≈6 × 40 g portions and shape them into flat ovals about 1.5 cm thick. Keep wetting your hands so the meat doesn't stick.
Melt the frying butter in a 24 cm · 1× (pan diameter · batches) frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the meat cakes for per side, until deeply browned on both sides. They don't need to be cooked through yet. Crowding makes them steam instead of brown, so work in batches. Set them aside on a plate.
Add in this stepButter (for frying) 15 g
medium-high heatMelt the gravy butter in the same pan, add the flour and stir constantly over medium heat for , until it turns the colour of milk chocolate and smells nutty. Gradually whisk in the stock until smooth and bring to the boil, scraping up the brown bits from the pan. This is Norwegian brown gravy (brun saus).
Add in this stepButter (for the gravy) 25 gPlain (all-purpose) flour 2 tbspBeef stock 300 ml
medium heatReturn the meat cakes and their juices to the gravy, cover and simmer over low heat for , until no pink remains in the centre (72 °C inside). If the gravy is too thick, add a splash of water; if too thin, simmer uncovered for a little while. Season with salt and pepper.
low heatServe the meat cakes and plenty of gravy over the warm potatoes, with lingonberry jam on the side.
Add in this stepLingonberry jam (or cranberry sauce) 2 tbsp
Cook's tip
Always cook minced meat through. In Norway they're often served with mushy peas (ertestuing) or buttered cabbage. A little finely grated onion in the mixture is a common addition. They're even better reheated the next day, once the gravy has soaked in.
Cooking it at camp
Shape the meat cakes at home and keep them well chilled in the cooler. Brown them in one large cast-iron pan and make the gravy in the same pan. Boil the potatoes at home and warm them in the gravy, and one burner is enough.