Keftedes (Greek Meatballs) with Tzatziki Sauce

PREP TIME: 15 MINS   COOK TIME: 20 MINS   TOTAL TIME: 35 MINS

Ingredients

1 pound ground lamb

1 pound ground beef

1 medium-sized red onion (grated)

 2 cloves fresh garlic (pressed or minced)

 1 tablespoon fresh mint (chopped)

 2 teaspoons dried oregano or fresh Greek oregano (chopped)

 1 teaspoon fresh parsley (chopped)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  ¾ cup breadcrumbs

  1 egg (beaten)

  1 teaspoon kosher salt

  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

   ½ cup flour (for dredging meatballs)

  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 Instructions

1.   Get out a big mixing bowl and add together all the ingredients (except the flour and the olive oil) and mix with your hands until thoroughly blended. (If you don’t like to get messy you can always wear some nitrile gloves)

2.   Now, roll the meat into little balls and place them on a pan lined with parchment paper. And, once they are all rolled up, place the pan of meatballs in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or the freezer for about 6 minutes. This way the meatballs won’t fall apart when you dredge them in flour and fry them.

3.   Get out another long pan and add the flour to that pan. Then, remove the cold meatballs from the fridge and dredge each little meatball in the flour. Shake off any excess flour. And place them back on the original pan.

4.   Get out your large fry pan and add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat the oil on medium-high until the oil is glistening. Then, add the meatballs (depending on the size of the fry pan you will fry them in batches) and fry for approximately 7 minutes, turning once to brown on  all sides of the little meatballs.

5.   Get out a rack and place it over another pan. As the meatballs are finished browning, place them on the rack to drain off any excess oil.  

6.    Now, let’s make the Tzatziki Sauce. Get out a little mixing bowl and add all the following ingredients together until blended:

1 cup whole fat plain Greek Yogurt

              1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil            

             ½ fresh lemon (juiced)

  4 fresh mint leaves (chopped) -Optional

              1/3 cup fresh English cucumber (The English ones have no seeds. Peel and grate the cucumber. Once grated, then place on a dish towel and gently squeeze any water out of the grated cucumber)

        3 cloves fresh garlic (pressed)

         ½ teaspoon kosher salt

         ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

         1 tablespoon fresh dill (stems removed and slightly chopped)

Now, get out a nice platter. Place the bowl of the Tzatziki Sauce, along with the Keftedes, some pita bread triangles, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese cubed, and some kalamata olives, and enjoy your delicious Greek feast! Opa!