KEFTEDAKIA (GREEK MEATBALLS)

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Keftedakia (Greek Meatballs) image

These are so tasty! The raw meatball mixture is quite 'loose' and needs a gentle touch, but it will hold together (trust me). In Greece, these are considered top-notch picnic fare. Leftovers make a good second meal (so make more meatballs!) the next day added to a tomato sauce and used to top rice, or mashed potatoes, or pasta, or............Please note there's a minimum of 1 hour refrigeration of the meat mixture prior to frying.

Provided by evelynathens

Categories     Meat

Time 40m

Yield 24-30 meatballs

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 large onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint, rubbed
2 slices white bread, crusts removed (from dense sourdough or artisan loaf)
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 egg
1 ounce ouzo liqueur (optional)
flour (for dredging)
oil (for frying)

Steps:

  • Mix meats, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and mint.
  • Remove crusts from bread slices, process into crumbs (I use my mini food processor) and moisten in milk.
  • Add bread and egg to meat (you can add a shot glass full of ouzo for flavouring at this point, if you like).
  • Knead mixture so that everything is incorporated evenly. This probably means more handling of the meat than you're usually used to, but it's ok in this particular recipe. The milk does not need to be squeezed out of the bread. It will all come together after kneading into a kind of meat paste.
  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using (I often make this an evening earlier to use the next day).
  • Shape into walnut-sized balls, dredge in flour, and saute in hot oil until meatballs are cooked and browned on all sides. (I use olive oil because I have an endless source, but a good vegetable oil, or a combination of vegetable and olive oil would be fine).
  • Good hot or at room temperature.
  • Note: To freeze (after cooking) Flash freeze separately. When frozen you can pop them into freezer bag.
  • Note2: You can also bake these in the oven (you do not need to dredge in flour if you do). They are very good this way, too. Obviously, frying provides a lot of flavour, but sometimes, cutting some calories is also a good thing. ;-).
  • To heat: Thaw and use as per directions above.

ikechukwu onumajuru
ikechukwu_onumajuru@hotmail.co.uk

I've made this recipe several times and it's always a hit! The meatballs are so flavorful and juicy.


Gaming With Lipon
glipon31@hotmail.co.uk

These keftedakia were delicious! I will definitely be making them again.


Patrick Kaliku
patrick65@gmail.com

I made these meatballs for my family and they loved them! The meatballs were so tender and flavorful.


Abu bakar Alam
abu.b@yahoo.com

These keftedakia were easy to make and turned out great! I will definitely be making them again.


Alone Badboy
badboy16@yahoo.com

I've made this recipe several times and it's always a hit! The meatballs are so flavorful and juicy.


Parvaiz PK
parvaiz65@gmail.com

These keftedakia were delicious! I will definitely be making them again.


Mohammad Navid Asghari
masghari81@hotmail.com

I made these meatballs for my family and they loved them! The meatballs were so tender and flavorful.


Oluwasanmi Shadrach Olawale
o-o76@hotmail.co.uk

These keftedakia were easy to make and turned out great! I served them with tzatziki sauce and they were delicious.


Mashal Siraj
m@yahoo.com

I love this recipe! The meatballs are so flavorful and juicy. I've made them several times and they're always a hit.


Sourinhaphone Chaleunsouk
sourinhaphone_chaleunsouk@yahoo.com

These keftedakia were delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect. I will definitely be making them again.


iamyobestiee
iamyobestiee18@aol.com

I made these meatballs for my family and they were a huge success! Everyone loved them. The meatballs were so tender and juicy.


Bilal Bila
bilal65@hotmail.com

These keftedakia were a big hit at my party! Everyone loved them. I will definitely be making them again.


Papu Sah
p-s79@yahoo.com

These meatballs were easy to make and turned out great! I used ground turkey instead of beef and they were still very flavorful. I will definitely be making these again.


namara James
james@yahoo.com

I've made keftedakia before, but this recipe was by far the best. The meatballs were so flavorful and moist. I served them with tzatziki sauce and they were a hit with my family and friends.


Steven Wolf
steven_wolf13@gmail.com

These keftedakia were absolutely delicious! The flavors were perfectly balanced and the meatballs were so tender and juicy. I will definitely be making these again.