Let's face it: It's the gravy for Swedish meatballs that makes the dish so freaking addictive. The sauce (or gravy) is made with a slurry of butter and flour, beef stock, and cream. But what puts the sauce for IKEA's Swedish meatballs over the top is the stuck-on bits in the skillet, called a fond. By first browning the meatballs in a skillet before finishing the cooking in the oven, you get a deeply flavored gravy filled with tons of beefy umami flavor.