Königsberger Klopse (Creamy German Meatballs)

Königsberger Klopse (“Koenigsberg meatballs”), also known as Soßklopse (“sauce meatballs”) in parts of Germany and Saure Klopse (“sour meatballs”) in earlier recipes, is a very traditional German dish consisting of meatballs in a creamy sauce studded with capers and flavored with lemon juice. The sauce is creamy, though it is not predominantly a “cream sauce”, the bulk of the liquid being beef broth with some cream added to it. The meatballs were traditionally made with veal, prized for its delicate flavor and tender texture, though nowadays a combination of ground beef and pork are used. Finely chopped anchovy filets were traditionally added to the meat mixture though today that’s likewise less common.

Something that distinguishes Königsberger Klopse from other meatballs is that instead of being fried or baked, they are simmered in broth, rendering them moist and tender. The sauce is basically a thinner version of a bechamel sauce that starts with a roux of butter and flour and then some reserved meatball broth and a smaller quantity of heavy cream is added. Once the sauce is thickened an egg yolk is stirred in along with capers, lemon juice, sometimes a little white wine, and salt and pepper. The meatballs are served with the creamy sauce.

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 stale crusty bread roll (ideally it will have sat out for a couple of days until hard), soaked in water util soft and then squeezed to remove liquid
• OR 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion , finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon very finely minced anchovies OR anchovy paste , optional
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 small yellow onion , chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 whole cloves
• 5 whole black peppercorns

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups reserved Cooking Broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine , optional
• 1/3 cup capers , rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 egg yolk
• chopped parsley or chives for garnish