Keftedes — Greek Ground Lamb Meatballs with Mint

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Lamb
• 2 slices stale bread, crusts off
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 onion, grated and squeezed
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• Big handful mint and parsley, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ cup flour, for dusting
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• Lemon wedges and tzatziki, for serving

Method

1. Soak the bread in the vinegar plus a splash of water until sodden, then squeeze it out and crumble it into a bowl. That vinegar-soaked crumb is what keeps keftedes tender and gives them their tang.
2. Add the Ground Lamb, onion, garlic, herbs, egg, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix with your hands just until combined — overworking makes them bouncy.
3. Chill 30 minutes, then roll into walnut-sized balls and roll each lightly in flour, tapping off the excess.
4. Fry in the olive oil over medium-high, in batches, turning until browned all over and cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Ground meat wants 160°F (71°C); poultry 165°F (74°C).
5. Drain briefly, squeeze lemon over while hot, and serve with tzatziki and bread. They're just as good cold from the fridge at midnight.