Greek Mint and Oregano Meatballs with Tzatziki
By Joe
Source: NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
This follows the same method as our beef meatballs in tomato sauce, but a beef and lamb mixture is flavoured with mint, oregano, cumin and lemon zest, shaped slightly flattened, shallow-fried in olive oil, and served with tzatziki and lemon instead of simmered in tomato sauce.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Make the tzatziki. Squeeze the grated cucumber hard in a clean tea towel to remove as much water as possible, which keeps the finished sauce thick rather than watery. Stir it through the yoghurt with the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dill and the tzatziki salt, then chill until needed.
- 2
Mix the meatballs. Soak the torn bread in the water for 2 minutes and mash to a paste. Add both minces, the squeezed grated onion, egg, mint, parsley, oregano, cumin, garlic, lemon zest, and the meatball salt and pepper, then knead with your hand for 1-2 minutes until well combined and tacky. Rest the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes so the bread hydrates fully and the herbs have time to flavour the meat.
- 3
Shape the meatballs. With wet hands, roll the mixture into 16-18 balls of about 50g each, then flatten slightly to around 4cm across. A flatter shape cooks through evenly in a frying pan, without needing a long, slow simmer to reach the centre.
- 4
Fry and serve. Heat the olive oil in the large frying pan over medium heat and fry the meatballs in two batches for 10-12 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes, until deep brown on all sides and a probe thermometer in the centre reads 71°C. Drain briefly on paper, then serve hot or warm with the tzatziki and lemon wedges.
Storage
Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days; store the tzatziki separately and use within 2 days. The meatballs freeze well for up to 2 months, but the tzatziki does not. Reheat the meatballs gently in a covered pan or the oven until piping hot throughout (74°C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
41.8 g protein for 668 kcal = 6.3 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 25% of the energy. High protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low sugars: 2 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 238 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0.8 g per serving
1.6 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 3.2 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- box grater
- clean tea towel
- large heavy frying pan
- instant-read probe thermometer
- plate lined with kitchen paper
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 668 kcal |
| Protein | 41.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 14.5 g |
| of which sugars | 4.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 48.6 g |
| of which saturates | 17 g |
| Fibre | 1.8 g |
| Salt | 2.01 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.3 g meets High protein (≥ 5 g per 100 kcal = 20% of energy, and ≥ 10 g per serving)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
