Beef Meatballs (Keftedes)

Beginner Cook - Medium Cooking Time - Appetizer - Main Course

These fried meatballs known as keftédes in Greece are particularly popular with children. They have a crunchy exterior with a moist and "fluffy" interior and can be served as is or added to tomato sauce to create a version of spaghetti and meatballs.  One appealing aspect of these two-bite size meatballs is that they can be frozen and added to lunch boxes at a later date. Whenever preparing this dish, I try to make extras, which frequently doesn't happen given that everyone devours them. However, if I do have left over meatballs, I place them on a tray in the freezer so they can freeze without sticking together. Once frozen, I store them in a ziplock bag in the freezer.  When packing the children's lunches during the week, I take two or three meatballs out of the ziplock bag and place them in their lunch containers. By lunch time, the meatballs have thawed and the kids can enjoy them. 

Ingredients (Makes ~ 24 meatballs)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint or 1 teaspoon of dried mint
• 1 medium size garlic clove or 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 3/4 cups bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
• 2 cups extra virgin olive oil for frying

Time - 30 minutes

• Preparation - 15 minutes
• Cooking - 15 minutes

Preparation

• Wash and finely chop or tear the fresh mint if using fresh mint
• Peel and mince the garlic if using a garlic clove 
• Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Note that depending on the type of breadcrumbs used, the recipe may call for more or less water. Add the water 1/2 cup at a time. After adding the first 1/2 cup, hand mix all of the ingredients together. The mixture should resemble a thick paste that can be rolled into balls. If needed, add the second 1/2 cup of water and repeat the process until the mixture resembles the following picture

• Once all of the ingredients are well combined, pour 1/3 cup of flour in the center of a large plate
• Take a small amount of the mixture and roll it in the palm of your hands in order to create a golf ball sized meatball
• Roll the meatball in the flour such that the exterior of the meatball is lightly covered in flour

• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat
• The oil in the pan should be approximately 1 inch deep such that the meatballs are covered halfway when placed in the pan. These should not be placed in the oil until it is fully heated (approximately 5 minutes)
• When you think the oil is hot enough, you can test it by placing one meatball in the center of the frying pan. The oil around the meatball should bubble

• Once the oil is hot enough, place the rest of the meatballs in the pan
• Fry the meatballs on one side for approximately 7 minutes
• Turn the meatballs over and cook on the other side for another 7 minutes
• The meatballs should be a rich brown. If needed, turn again and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes on each side