Pannbiff – Swedish beef patties with fried onions and cream gravy
Serves 4 · 1 hour · Ergonomic frying pan
Pannbiff is thick beef patties under a layer of slow-fried onions, in a cream gravy made in the same pan. The browned bits the patties leave in the carbon steel pan give the gravy its flavour.
Pannbiff is everyday Swedish food: juicy minced beef patties fried with a good crust, topped with soft, deep-golden onions and served in a light brown cream gravy. It is at its best when the onions are given time and the gravy is made on the browned bits the patties leave in the pan.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 50 ml dried breadcrumbs
- 100 ml milk
- 1 small brown onion, finely grated
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 500 g minced beef
- 20 g butter for frying
Fried onions
- 4 brown onions
- 30 g butter
- A pinch of salt
Gravy
- 200 ml beef stock
- 200 ml double cream
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- 800 g waxy potatoes
- Lingonberries or lingonberry jam
- Quick pickled cucumber
- Chopped parsley
Method
- Stir the breadcrumbs into the milk and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Stir in the grated onion, egg, salt and pepper, then mix in the beef without overworking it. Shape into four thick oval patties.
- Boil the potatoes in salted water, about 20 minutes.
- Peel and slice the onions. Fry them in 30 g butter over a medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and deep golden. Season with salt and set aside on a plate.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and melt 20 g butter in the pan. Fry the patties for about 4 minutes on each side until well browned and cooked through. Lift them out.
- Pour the stock into the pan and scrape up the browned bits. Add the cream and soy sauce and simmer for 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Return the patties to the gravy and heat through for 2 minutes. Pile the onions on top, scatter over parsley and serve with the potatoes, lingonberries and pickled cucumber.
Why it works
In an uncoated carbon steel pan a thin layer of browned bits forms as the patties colour. The stock lifts them off the pan, and that is what makes the cream gravy brown and full of flavour.
FAQ
What is the difference between pannbiff and Swedish meatballs?
The mixture is almost the same, but pannbiff is shaped into large flat patties and served with fried onions and gravy. Meatballs are rolled small and round.
Can I use a mix of beef and pork mince?
Yes, a beef and pork mix makes juicy patties. The cooking time stays the same.
How do I know when the patties are done?
They are done when the juices run clear and the centre reaches 70 °C. Very thick patties may need an extra minute on each side.
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