Description
Keftedes in Lemon Sauce is a traditional Greek dish featuring flavorful pork and beef meatballs cooked in a tangy, buttery lemon sauce. This recipe combines aromatic herbs and spices with a velvety sauce that perfectly complements the juicy meatballs, offering a delicious main course that can be enjoyed warm with freshly ground pepper and dried oregano.
Ingredients
Scale
For The Meatballs:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 200 grams ground pork
- 400 grams lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 100 grams crustless bread
- 125 ml white wine
- 100 grams onion, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano plus extra for serving
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley or fresh minced
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt plus extra for the sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper plus extra for the sauce
For The Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 500 ml hot water or vegetable, beef, or chicken stock
- 8-10 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare the bread: Soak the crustless bread in white wine by tearing it into smaller pieces, and letting it soak for a couple of minutes until softened.
- Mix ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the ground pork, ground beef, egg, parsley, oregano, cumin, minced onion, minced garlic, sea salt, and pepper.
- Add soaked bread: Crumble the soaked bread as much as possible and add it to the meat mixture.
- Knead mixture: Knead the meatball mixture until everything is uniformly combined.
- Shape meatballs: Form the mixture into 15 oval-shaped meatballs, each weighing about 65-70 grams, and place them on a large plate.
- Refrigerate: Refrigerate the meatballs for about 1 hour to help them become firm and hold their shape better during cooking.
- Sear meatballs: Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sear the meatballs on both sides, ensuring you don’t flip or disturb them before the first 4 minutes. Then, carefully turn them using two forks to brown all sides.
- Drain excess oil: Transfer the seared meatballs to paper towels to drain any excess oil and set them aside.
- Make the sauce base: In a sauté pan, melt butter over moderate heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spatula for 2-3 minutes until the mixture turns sandy in color and releases a toasted flour aroma.
- Add liquids: Gradually pour in the hot water or stock followed by lemon juice, stirring well to combine and create a smooth sauce. Start with 8 tablespoons lemon juice and adjust later to taste.
- Simmer meatballs in sauce: Add the meatballs into the lemon sauce, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, turning once and scraping the pan occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Season and serve: Taste the sauce and add any additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired. Serve the keftedes warm with plenty of freshly ground pepper and a sprinkle of dried oregano on top.
Notes
- Do not add all the lemon juice at once. Start with 6-8 tablespoons and adjust after tasting to your preferred level of tanginess, as Greek cuisine favors a distinct lemon flavor.
- Using a mix of pork and lean beef creates juicier and more flavorful meatballs.
- Refrigeration helps the meatballs hold their shape while cooking.
- Searing the meatballs before simmering locks in their moisture and gives them a nice color.
- The sauce can be made with either water or any type of stock depending on your flavor preference.
- Serve with crusty bread or a light salad for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
