Swedish Meat Balls

From Jocasta Innes's The Pauper's Cookbook, 1971

1/2 lb minced beef
2 tsps capers
2 tsps pickled beetroot
1 small onion
1 pinch dill
dash Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp grated stale white bread

Chop the capers and pickled beet together. Chop the onion very finely with a sharp knife. Soak the crumbs in a little water and squeeze dry. Combine all the ingredients, mixing well with a knife or your hands. Leave to stand for an hour or so if possible. Shape into small flat patties. you can either flour both sides and fry in a little oil over a moderate flame for 10-15 mins or put the rissoles in an ovenproof dish with a little butter and a piece of buttered paper over them and bake (400F, 205C) for 1/2-3/4 hour, until they are cooked through. Good with mashed potatoes and buttered greens or spinach.

In 1971 we were in a deep recession and wages were low (especially if you were in your early 20s). The Paupers' recipes are very unlike the garish boom-time food of the 60s (prawn cocktail with Marie Rose sauce and paprika). They have the dull brown tone and dull flavour of the austerity 70s. They are very puritanical, Quakerish and good for you – morally.

The recipes also use ingredients that were common and cheap then, but almost unobtainable now, except at an upmarket butchers: chops, cutlets, kidneys, heart.

Back then (in the Dark Ages), meals were supposed to consist of meat and two veg. Meat was a chicken, or a joint of pork/beef/mutton. All these were beyond our budgets. So offal was suggested as a substitute. We hadn't moved on to sausages, bacon, tinned tuna and mince - the staples of student cookery.

The index lists: brain fritters, braised hearts, hand of pork, gingered pork balls with peas...

We never cooked them! I wonder who did?

She also includes this handy conversion table:

1 level tsp 5 ml
1 level tbsp 15 ml
1 glass 175 ml, 6 fl oz
1 teacup 150 ml, 1/4 pint
1 cup breadcrumbs 5 oz
1 cup grated cheese 5 oz
1 cup honey or syrup 15 oz
1 cup oatmeal 8 oz
1 cup nuts 5 oz
1 cup dried fruit 8 oz

And here are some more:

1 cup Flour = 5 oz (140 g)
1/4 cup Flour = 4 tablespoons = 1 1/4 oz (35 g)
100 g Flour = 3 1/2 oz = 2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups Flour = 8 oz (225 g)
1 cup Flour = 4 oz (115 g)
1 pound Flour = 450 g = 4 cups
1 oz (30 g) Flour = 3 tablespoons
25 g Flour = 3 scant tablespoons
275 g Flour = 10 oz = 2 cups
1/4 pound Butter = 4 oz = 115 g = 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons
8 oz Butter = 225 g = 1 cup
1 (450 g) pound Butter = 2 cups
1 oz Butter = 30 g = 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon of butter = 1/2 oz = 15 g