Keftedes - Greek Meatballs

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 servings

Description

These Greek-style meatballs are made with ground beef and grated potatoes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon for a taste of the island of Cyprus.

Ingredients

oil for frying
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
5 white potatoes, peeled
2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, grated
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup dried mint, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
zest from 1 lemon
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
lemon wedges

Directions

1 Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2 Place the lemon juice in a large bowl. Coarsely grate the potatoes into the lemon juice, stirring well to prevent browning. Stir in the ground beef, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, mint, cinnamon, lemon zest, eggs, and salt and pepper. Mix well, and shape into oblong balls about 1 inch thick and 2 inches wide.
3 Place meatballs in hot oil in batches; do not crowd. Fry until golden brown, and cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes per batch. Serve with lemon wedges.