Keftedakia, Traditional Greek Meatballs

Traditional Greek Meatballs

A new Mediterranean restaurant opened up in our hometown. The dishes are mostly Greek inspired with some Italian flair and pizza. I really, really love Greek food. Until this place opened, we had to drive 2 hours to get anything resembling authentic Greek. I am overjoyed.

The first time we went, I ordered the Gyro Pizza: Gyro meat, purple onions, tomatoes, and feta. The crust is oiled and not covered in tomato sauce. It is thin and chewy and delicious. The second time we went I ordered Keftedakia, Traditional Greek Meatballs. My dinner was so good, I almost cried.

I went home immediately and began to research Keftedakia. After trying various incarnations, I came up with these. They might not make you cry, but they sure will make you happy.

You can substitute lemon juice for the red wine vinegar. You can also add a little oregano and/or coriander. But I did this, and it was love.

 

Servings: 20 meatballs
Time:  Prep:  10 minutes; Cooking: 20 minutes; Meatballs in about 40 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a food processor, a silicone spatula, a mixing bowl, un-powdered latex gloves, a large heavy pan, a large shallow bowl (or a pie plate), slotted spoons, paper towel covered plate

Ingredients:

• 1-pound ground beef
• 1 small onion (4 ounces)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 5-6 mint leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup flour (maybe more)
• Enough olive oil to fill the pan halfway
• Toasted flatbread (pita or naan), feta, lemon, fresh slices of mozzarella , tomatoes and fresh chopped parsley, large grain salt for serving

1. Put the onion, garlic, mint, parsley and black pepper into the food processor. Pulse until they are very finely chopped, but not liquefied. Add the egg, salt and vinegar and pulse a few more times. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the onions and herbs as fine as you can. Beat the egg and then proceed.
2. Scrape everything from the processor into the mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and meat. Put on latex gloves. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl with your hands. Make bite-sized (1 inch)meatballs.
3. Heat the oil on medium high.  Place the flour into the shallow bowl. Lightly dredge the meatballs.
4. Brown the meatballs for about 4 minutes and then turn. Don’t crowd the pan. You may need to fry them in batches. Remove them to the plate. You can keep them warm in the oven on the lowest setting until they are all finished.
5. To plate you should place slices of tomato, mozzarella and toasted flatbread on the plate. Place the meatballs beside them and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice of them. Sprinkle on feta, fresh chopped parsley and a little finishing salt.