Scandinavian Grilling Ideas

It’s 35 days until autumn begins, and you’ve had a summer of full of your favorite and familiar grilled meats.  So now is the time to try a few new ideas for your outdoor meals with help from Ingebretsen’s Meat Market. “The Swedish meatball mix can be made into a patty and it grills right up,” says Steve Dahl, co-owner of Ingebretsen’s and the Meat Market manager. Top the patty with a slice of Jarlsberg cheese, and you’ll have a memorable cheeseburger. In fact, any of the ground meats from the Meat Market can be grilled. Lenae Dahl, butcher and daughter of Steve, recommends thawing the ham or lamb loaves and forming the meat into patties for an easy meal that’s a change of pace. Lingonberries in any form, and the Meat Market has many, complements all three of the burgers.

The Meat Market sells salads and side dishes, so weekday meals are easy to make. The potato salad is good on its own, but you can always mix in a few teaspoons of Lars Own Swedish Mustard for extra tang. Top that potato salad off with a few hardboiled egg slices, dot them with Abba Kallas Caviar Spread, and you have an eye-catching side with minimal effort.

The tomatoes of August can be showcased with BLTs. Ingebretsen’s smoked bacon adds that extra touch of flavor that slices of homegrown (or farmer’s market) Beefsteak tomato deserve.

There is a full assortment of brats and franks, and of course, rings of Swedish, Medister pølse (Danish), and Middag  pølse sausages. Steve says that best way to prepare these sausages is to put them in a pan and cover them with water. Once the pan reaches a gentle simmer, barely bubbling, cover the pan and let them cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan, then grill. “The biggest mistake people make is to boil the sausage. Then the skin bursts and all the seasoning and flavor go into the water,” he says.

Not letting grilled meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes after cooking is another common error. Whether its burgers, steaks, chops, or sausage rings, all meat is juicier and more tender if it is taken off the grill, loosely covered with foil and allowed to rest for 10 minutes. A steak can rest for a little less time, if you just can’t wait.

The reason this makes a difference is because as meat cooks, the proteins heat up and “set.” The longer it is cooked, the more set and firmer the meat becomes. During cooking, the  juices retreat to the center of the cut. Allowing the meat to rest and cool gives the juices a chance to redistribute evenly and for the proteins to relax.

While some of us will stow our grills in the garage by the end of September, there are those Minnesotans who believe, “As long as it’s not snowing, the grill will be going.” If you are of this tribe, consider some of the above ideas for your holiday meals.  You can also cook a ham slowly over low, indirect heat on a grill. Swedish-meatball-mix patties make for easy meals for restive, festive family who are staying at your house and need to be fed several times before they all depart for their own homes. Maybe a creative reader will contribute ideas on reheating leftover lutefisk on a grill.

So, stop by the Meat Market and talk with Steve, Lenae, or any of our butchers. They’d be glad to help you find the perfect dinner choice and suggest ways to cook it. Whether it’s lamb-loaf burgers or one of the classic beef or pork grill cuts that we always have available, we will make sure you have a meal that is memorable and worthy of these last glorious days of summer.

Please note: While we would like to make all of our foods available to everyone, necessary food safety guidelines prevent us from shipping meat. All items mentioned in this post that can be shipped are linked to the website. Thanks for your understanding.

Scandinavians love to grill. If you don’t believe us here is an ad for a Norwegian market: