The Perfect Greek Meatballs… are full with Herbs! tagged: , , , , , , , ,

The Perfect Greek Meatballs… are full with Herbs!

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Eat-Drink

I like to cook. In fact occasionally I really love to! But it has to go quick. And it has to be kind of  “light” preferably with lots of fresh, aromatic herbs.

I grow oregano, all kinds of basil, rosemary, thyme, mint, majoran, parsley, sage or something more rare and exotic for Greeks  like coriander, lemon thyme and red basil in my southern balcony. This year my herbs did not grow as they should, most probably due to the long lasting heat wave with high humidity.

I do not need to stress, of, course, that I use all these herbs in cooking. Therefore my recipe today…

 Greek Meatballs with lots of Herbs

  • 500 gr. minced meat (beef & pork) – do not try only Beef, they don’t get fluffy…
  • 2 slices of yesterday bread, soaked in water & well drained
  • 1 large onion, 1 garlic glove
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar, salt, black pepper
  • 1 big handful of herbs (1/2 handful mint, the other half fresh & dry oregano,  parsley, thyme)
  • flour
  • olive oil
  • kitchen paper

    •                     ….  make some 20 pieces

    Put all the fresh herbs together with the onion and the garlic in food processor for some 30 seconds.

    Put the minced meat in a bowl together with the herbs-onion mix, salt, pepper, vinegar and the well squizzed bread.

    Mix the igredients very well and start forming the meat balls. Not too big, not too small.

    Flat or round?

    There are cooks  who flatten the meatballs after having formed them. 

    I prefer the all-round-rolling meatballs as my grandma used to make.

    Remember! They have to be able to roll. That’s why we call them  Meat-Balls  and not  Meat-Flats, right?

    Generously cover a plate with flour and roll the meatballs. They have to be well coated from all sides.

    Heat the  olive oil  in a frying pan. The oil has to be rather plenty ( some 4 cm high) and quite hot.  Add the meatballs – they need space to swim a bit.

    When golden brown, take them out with a looped scoop and put them on layers of kitchen paper so excessive oil will be absorbed.

     

    You can prepare much more in advance and deep freeze them before coating with the flour.

    If you don’t have fresh herbs use dry ones, but not need the food processor; just chop onion & garlic fine

    If you hate frying,  you omit the vinegar, you  form them flat (HA!) and cook them under or over a hot grill! Then they are called Biftekia!

    You serve warm preferably with french fries made from scratch and  a nice choriatiki ,  the famous Greek Farmer’s tomato salad.