Keftedakia Recipe

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 tomato, finely chopped

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

3 tbsp Greek olive oil

Greek oregano

2 eggs

A pinch of salt and pepper

1 pound chopped lamb

1 pound chopped Veal

To make the tomato sauce, we need:

4 tomatoes, caramelized

½ cup Greek olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup red wine

A pinch of salt and pepper

Greek olive oil, for frying

2 cups water

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Directions

First, prepare the mixture for the meatballs:

In a big bowl, combine the chopped meats, and in another bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients and mix well. We add that mixture into the bowl with the meat and mix with our hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for about 1 hour, for the mixture to settle.

Afterward, remove the bowl from the fridge and shape the meat mixture into patties. Then, place them onto a platter, cover them with parchment paper, and set them aside in the fridge, while preparing the tomato sauce.

In a very hot pot with no oil, caramelize the tomatoes by cooking down for about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from pan. Then in the same hot pot sauté the onion in the dry pan, until caramelized, then add the garlic, until golden. Then, add the tomatoes, stir for 2-3 minutes, and deglaze with the wine. Pour in the olive oil and stir again.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the water and simmer for 5-6 minutes.

In the meantime, in a deep, large frying pan heat olive oil (use enough to coat all the meatballs) and when hot, fry the meatballs in batches, until evenly browned. Remove them onto a platter lined with paper towels to drain excess olive oil.

Then, add the "keftedakia" (meatballs) into the pot with the tomato sauce and boil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce slightly thickens.

Remove the pot from the heat and serve the "keftedakia kokkinista" garnished with feta cheese.