Königsberger Klopse

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg minced beef
• 2 eggs
• 2 rolls, stale
• 2 large onions
• 3 tbsp oil
• salt and pepper
• 100 g butter or margarine for the roux
• 100 g flour
• 750 ml broth
• 500 ml milk
• 2 tbsp capers
• ½ cup(s) vinegar
• Sugar, to taste

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes

My grandma’s recipe

Dice the onions. Soak the bread rolls in a little lukewarm water and squeeze out any excess water. Add both to the minced meat along with the eggs, salt, pepper, and oil and mix well. Scoop a tablespoon of the minced meat mixture and roll it into meatballs. This works best with wet or oiled hands. Set the meatballs aside on a plate. For the roux, melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan. Slowly add the flour and let it brown lightly (!), stirring constantly. Now add the stock a little at a time, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Then add the milk, stirring constantly. The sauce should be thick. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk; if it’s too thin, add a little more flour. Season the sauce with the vinegar and sugar; it should have a sweet and sour taste. Add a little more salt and pepper if desired. Finally, add the capers in their own liquid to the sauce. When everything is simmering gently, add the meatballs to the sauce (!) (my grandma’s secret recipe) and simmer on low heat with the lid on for about 45 minutes. Potatoes are delicious with this. A little extra tip: You can go for the simple broth version. To make it, add 2-3 tablespoons of granulated broth (whether vegetable, beef, or chicken) to 750 ml of hot water.