← Nouns Cooking · Greek

Ingredients

• 800 g beef mince (about 15–20% fat)
• 1 Onion, coarsely grated
• 1 Tomato, grated, skin discarded
• 2 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 60 g Breadcrumbs
• 1 Eggs
• 4 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 100 g feta, cut into 8 small slabs, for stuffing (optional)
• 1 lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Put everything except the feta and lemon into a large bowl. Knead with your hands for 2–3 min, until the mixture turns sticky and holds together.
2. Cover and chill for 30 min so the patties firm up and keep their shape on the grill.
3. With wet hands, shape 8 oval patties about 2 cm thick. To stuff them, flatten a patty, lay a slab of feta in the middle and fold the meat around it, sealing the edges well.
4. Heat a griddle pan, barbecue or heavy frying pan over medium-high heat and brush the patties with oil.
5. Cook for 5–6 min per side, until well browned and cooked through with no pink in the middle; beef mince is safe at 71°C (160°F).
6. Rest for 2 min and serve with lemon wedges, lemon potatoes or chips, and a big salad.

Tips

• Leave out the feta to keep them dairy-free, or add it for the popular "bifteki gemisto" with a molten centre.
• Grating the onion and tomato rather than chopping them keeps the patties extra juicy.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

My Greek Dish OliveTomato Dimitra's Dishes