This recipe has lots of notes, so for my first cook through, I made it following my grandmother’s notes. With her changes, the recipe is basically just Feta cheese and spinach with some eggs to bind.
Spinach Peta
read more
Meat Balls
This recipe has an “x” next to it as do many recipes in the book. I assume this means that my grandmother cooked it as least once. As a fried meat ball, this is likely a version of Keftedakia. This is the first of two meat ball recipes, the second being a Smyrna Style.
Servings
25 2-inch meatballs
Ready In:
15 minute prep
12-15 minute cooking time
30-60 minutes total depending on number of balls and batches
Good For:
Dinner
Appetizers for Party
About this Recipe
My grandmother included notes about not using mint leaves, substituting garlic salt and oregano instead. There are a few “staple” ingredients not listed in the ingredient list, which makes me wonder how common that will be in the cookbook. This recipe is not attributed to anyone. I ended up using 90/10 ground sirloin for my test recipe. The meat balls came out so moist and tasty.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs of hamburg
- 2-3 medium onions
- 4 thick slices of bread
- 2 eggs
- mint leaves
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- flour
- pepper
- water
- olive oil or butter for frying
Bold ingredients listed on original ingredient list. Italicized found in handwritten notes. Others found in recipe text.
Chop onions, few mints and parsley leaves. Add to hamburg, season with salt and pepper, mix in bread which was moistened in a little water. Add eggs. Mix well and shape into round balls or flat cakes, roll in flour and fry in olive oil or butter.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Mise en Place (prepare ingredients for cooking). Chop onion, parsley, and mint (if using). Fill small bowl with water and soak bread slices so that each is moistened, but not soggy.
Step 2
Mix all ingredients. Add eggs, garlic salt, pepper, mint, and parsley to large bowl with the ground beef. Remove bread from water and squeeze out as much water as possible. Add to ground beef and combine. Tear up the bread as you place in the bowl to make mixing easier. You can use your hands, a fork, or a masher to combine the ground beef. Mix just until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix.
Step 3
Shape balls. Shape mixed meat into balls, tubes, or flat cakes. I prefer smaller meatballs about two inches in size, but you can make them as large as you’d like.
Step 4
Dredge Balls in Flour. Fill bowl or cover cutting board with flour and roll meat balls in flour, lightly covering them. Dredging in flour helps keep the meatballs together when frying while creating a crispy exterior.
Step 5
Fry Balls. Heat oil or butter in a shallow sauce pan or skillet over medium heat. Use about 1/4 inch of oil or a full stick of butter. For crispy deep fried meat balls, use oil. For simple pan fried, use butter. Remember to turn down the heat for butter so it doesn’t brown. When oil is heated, add meatballs, making sure not to overcrowd pan. Roll or flip balls throughout cooking until they are evenly browned on all sides and cooked through. About 3-4 minutes on each die for 12-15 minutes total depending on thickness. Using a shallow pan will keep the meatballs from steaming and make it easier to roll them around. 
Step 6
Remove Excess Oil. Remove balls from pan and place on paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve warm.
Tips and Thoughts
Chill shaped balls. I didn’t do this when testing this recipe, but for rounder meat balls, chill in fridge for 10-15 minutes before frying. Especially if your home is warm, this is a great way to keep the shape.
Reduce Onions. The recipe calls for 2-3 medium onions, but depending on size of your bread, I feel like this is too much onion. I used 2 small/medium onions and felt like it was a good amount of onions.
Use blender or food processor for onions. For a smoother texture, use a blender or food processor to chop the onions; they can be minced well or a paste. Chop in blender until very fine but not mushy.
Changes portions easily. This is a great recipe for 1 pound of ground beef. Use 1 medium onion and 3 thick pieces of bread. Also good for 2-3 pounds of ground beef for party appetizers.
Garnish with parsley and serve with tzatziki. Finely chop some parsley and sprinkle on top of the cooked meatballs just before serving to add a touch of fresh color. Serve with a Greek Yogurt sauce (Tzatski) and a squeeze of lemon.
More Recipes
Garlic Sauce
Commonly called Skordalia, this recipe is for a garlic potato sauce or dip. I did this one a little backwards as I needed a sauce for a dinner party. I started with a more modern version and techniques, but will go back and cook traditionally some day.
Filo Dough
Commonly used in Greek favorites Baklava and Spanakopita, phyllo is much easier to work with than most people imagine. It is not all that easy to roll perfectly thin tho.