Königsberger Klopse: meatballs simmered in broth, not baked, with caper sauce

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Soak the bread roll

   10 min

   Cut the bread roll into cubes, pour the milk over it, and let soak for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the small onion.

2. Shape the meatballs

   15 min

   Squeeze the bread roll to remove excess milk, then mix it with the ground beef and pork, onion, egg, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined. With wet hands, shape the mixture into 12 meatballs about 5 cm in diameter.

3. Prepare the broth and potatoes

   10 min

   Peel the potatoes and cook them in salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Pour 1.2 l water into a wide pot, add the quartered onion, bay leaves, allspice, and salt, and bring to a boil.

4. Cook the meatballs

   15 min

   Lower the meatballs into the broth, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 12–15 minutes, until cooked through. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer; a rolling boil could cause the meatballs to fall apart.

5. Make the sauce

   10 min

   Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and strain the broth. Melt the butter in another pot, stir in the flour, and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly without letting it brown. Gradually pour in 500 ml warm broth, whisk until smooth, and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Finish and season

   5 min

   Stir in the cream, capers, and lemon juice, and season with salt to taste. Mix the egg yolk with 2 tbsp of the sauce and pour it into the pot; do not let the sauce boil from this point on. Add the meatballs, let them warm through for 5 minutes, and serve with the potatoes.

Tip: The original recipe also calls for mixing 2 chopped anchovy fillets into the meat for a more pronounced flavor. In Germany, these meatballs are served with beets; jarred beets work fine. Read more: How to grind meat at home: tips and meat blends

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Jemné kráľovecké klopsy v kaparovej omáčke: mäsové guľky sa nepečú, ale varia vo vývare