I’d like to thank you all for your well wishes for my mom. She’s doing very well and let’s not over do it. Knee surgery is pretty standard these days (no real complications) and although she’s in some pain, she’s also a woman and she’s milking this opportunity to squeeze out as much pampering as she can get.
A few examples of this is:
“I don’t like this pillow, go back upstairs and get me the other pillow. NO, not that one, the other one!”
Another “request” I often hear is , (BAM – BAM – BAM…sound of her cane thumping on the floor), “May I have my LUNCH now”.
Or….”Peter, go put the wash in the dryer”. Ten minutes later….”Peter, go check if it’s dried yet”. Five minutes later…..”PETER….check the dryer…the clothes might be dried now”.
Anyone want to adopt a mother? She has 2 bum knees, an overbearing Greek ego and, she’s a fabulous cook. Two out of three ain’t bad, right?
On to the food. One of my favourite summer time/BBQ-ing meats is to grill Keftedes. There are many variations of Keftedes but this is how our family makes them, friends and relatives ask for the recipe, we kindly comply.
In Greece, at a taverna, you will often see a stuffed keftedes offering on the menu. When ordering, this is for the hungry-man who wants to be fed, not just given a pretty presentation.
Greeks will place a piece of feta, Roquefort, Gouda or in my instance, Vlahotyri inside stuffed keftedes. Vlahotyri is a sheep’s milk, aged, mildly sharp white cheese, reminiscent of a Grano Padano. If Vlahotyri isn’t handy, a Greek Kasseri cheese will do just fine.
You can simply follow the ingredients listing for my Keftedes but because you’re smacking two beef patties together to seal the cheese, the meat takes longer to cook.
Ground beef meat MUST be well done and if one uses lean ground beef, you will end up with a dry keftede. The solution is to use a medium(fat) ground beef. This method seems to solve the drying out issue with stuffed keftedes.
Finally, when forming the larger pattie to seal the cheese in the middle, it’s important to pinch around the sides of the two patties. Do this well. Failure or neglect will leave you to watch your cheese ooze out of your keftedes and fade into the abyss of your grill.
Keftedes Stuffed With Cheese (ΚεφτÎδες ΓεμιστÎÏ‚ )
(for 6)
1 kg. of medium ground beef
2 medium onions, box grated
4 slices of bread, soaked in water (or milk), hand squeezed and then crumbled
1 tsp of garlic powder/1 tbsp grated fresh garlic
2 eggs (for binding)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chopped parsley
pinch of cumin
salt & pepper to taste
1 inch flat squares of cheese (Vlahotyri or Kasseri)
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well using your hands.
- Form palm-sized patties with your hands, then squish them into flat patties and reserve in a platter. Cover with cling-wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Before grilling, allow the keftedes to come back to room temperature. Take your piece of cheese and place it in the middle of one pattie. Now place another pattie on top and press the two patties together to form one larger keftede. Now using your fingers, pinch the entire perimeter of your pattie so that when you grill, the Keftede will hold together and your cheese will not leak.
- Grill on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes a side.
- Serve with some mustard/Mayo, Boukovo(red chilli flakes), a salad and some bread. Kali Orexi!
44 Responses
You can tell alot about a man’s character by the way he treats his mother! ;-) You should give her a little bell to ring for your service so she doesn’t have to beat the floor with her cane!
These would be excellent for a summer cookout, maybe with a big Greek salad (the way you told me to make it!) and your potatoes from yesterday…I am so looking forward to grilling season.
Hi hi loved reading about your mom .
And she sounds great, you can send her to me, i will be able to taste some of her delicious greel cooking.
Keftdes looks superb, not to mention the cheese in it.
Oh and my Brother in law had a knee operation 3 weeks back and my sister in law is saying at home he is walking normal and when he comes out to the street he is limbing :-)
whoa, this picture should not be looked at by a hungry woman. i’m not working today so i have all the time in the world to go whip this up for lunch. but, as fat as i feel today, it’s going to be a salad i force down. sigh!
i love your candidness about your mom. she sounds very cute… my grandmother lived with my family from the time i was 15 till she died when i was 28. She was a pisser and a strong woman who couldn’t stand being bored. she loved to boss people around which was hilarious b/c she weighed about 85 pounds soaking wet and was like 5 ft. tall at best (although she kept on shrinking). i actually miss her yelling at us to do things (and not do things).
anyways, you’re a good son (say this in your best jewish grandmutha brooklyn accent) – pat yourself on the head and go feed your mom a keftdes!
Oh Greek Moms! I remember them well from my childhood. I had so many Greek friends and I remember their Moms well.
This recipe looks great. My Dh will love this with blue cheese inside!
You mom sounds like my Yiayia! Makes me miss her…
Anyway, I just stumbled on your blog, LOVE IT, and have spent a huge chunk of time ignoring my own wet clothes that should be moved to the dryer while reading =, getting hungry, remembering food from my childhood, and making a new shopping list!
Kostandina
I agree with Leah – a man’s treatment of his mother is an interesting thing to take note of ;)
You sound like you’re doing fine though!
Yet another drool-worthy recipe Peter – I don’t think I’ve ever seen you put something on here that I wouldn’t love to cook or eat!
I still want your mom to adopt me Peter. It doesn’t sound like you have any sisters.We love our family no matter what, as you already do. This stuffed keftedes will be on my summer barbeque menu for sure. It would be nice wrapped in a warmed pita as well:D
Your mom sounds like a great Greek mom. I’ll bet I’d love to sit down to a meal that she’d prepare. Hope she feels better soon- how lucky she is to have you catering to her! Patience…
This Greek style burger looks great. I’ve just discovered a great cheese shop that just may carry these cheeses too!
What a delicious addition to one of my favorite things. I used to eat keftedes and homemade french fries like they were going out of style when I was little but I haven’t made them myself in ages. Glad to hear your mom is doing well!
For what I’ve heard and read, Greek and Mexican moms are very similar. Maybe if we put your mom and my mom together they’d get along pretty well. Hehehe
Those pictures are making m hungry. I’ll try this with ground turkey. Look at that melted cheese! Hmmmm
Peter. Please stop showingn cheese oozing out of things. I have to work you know. Do you expect me to have the will power to not look and daydream about oozing cheese all day? Seriously.
I was cracking up while reading your mom’s “small” requirements… You should be a Good boy and do whatever she asks you for ;-)
About your Keftedes… I know you were thinking about me when deciding on which cheese to use for the stuffing :D
I know ‘ground meat must be well done’
I just can’t seem to bring myself to do it… Surely it’s okay if you watch it being ground, right?
Steak Tartare is still served here.
Glad you’re mom is rapidly (or totally) back to normal…and the knee is on the mend, too!
Your mum sounds just like my Greek friend, full of spirit.
Love the look and sound of those stuffed keftedes.
This looks like a meatball on steroids and ready to take on any hungry soul…. I agree on the medium fat ground beef, I cannot stand dry, tough meatballs or keftedes.
If I was not this stuffed from my kebabs, I would seriously consider making these right now – I happen to have ground beef in the fridge.
This looks like a meatball on steroids and ready to take on any hungry soul…. I agree on the medium fat ground beef, I cannot stand dry, tough meatballs or keftedes.
If I was not this stuffed from my kebabs, I would seriously consider making these right now – I happen to have ground beef in the fridge.
This looks like a meatball on steroids and ready to take on any hungry soul…. I agree on the medium fat ground beef, I cannot stand dry, tough meatballs or keftedes.
If I was not this stuffed from my kebabs, I would seriously consider making these right now – I happen to have ground beef in the fridge.
This looks like a meatball on steroids and ready to take on any hungry soul…. I agree on the medium fat ground beef, I cannot stand dry, tough meatballs or keftedes.
If I was not this stuffed from my kebabs, I would seriously consider making these right now – I happen to have ground beef in the fridge.
This looks like a meatball on steroids and ready to take on any hungry soul…. I agree on the medium fat ground beef, I cannot stand dry, tough meatballs or keftedes.
If I was not this stuffed from my kebabs, I would seriously consider making these right now – I happen to have ground beef in the fridge.
This looks like a meatball on steroids and ready to take on any hungry soul…. I agree on the medium fat ground beef, I cannot stand dry, tough meatballs or keftedes.
If I was not this stuffed from my kebabs, I would seriously consider making these right now – I happen to have ground beef in the fridge.
This looks like a meatball on steroids and ready to take on any hungry soul…. I agree on the medium fat ground beef, I cannot stand dry, tough meatballs or keftedes.
If I was not this stuffed from my kebabs, I would seriously consider making these right now – I happen to have ground beef in the fridge.
This looks like a meatball on steroids and ready to take on any hungry soul…. I agree on the medium fat ground beef, I cannot stand dry, tough meatballs or keftedes.
If I was not this stuffed from my kebabs, I would seriously consider making these right now – I happen to have ground beef in the fridge.
This looks like a meatball on steroids and ready to take on any hungry soul…. I agree on the medium fat ground beef, I cannot stand dry, tough meatballs or keftedes.
If I was not this stuffed from my kebabs, I would seriously consider making these right now – I happen to have ground beef in the fridge.
Your mum’s a lucky lady to have you around to help her recover and cook for her :-) Hope she’s better soon.
Anything with melting cheese in it is good with me – these are making me drool…
Your last photo of that yummy dish looks like someone’s mouth trying to lick up the crumbs. Food art. Too cool!
Glad to here your mom is doing well!
I cracked up reading your description of your mom. I think Greek moms and Jewish moms went to the same school for moms!
But then you follow it with one of my favorite foods of all. I think these are not just for hungry men, but for those of us women who adore just about anything Greek – including the food! ;-) I mean, c’mon! Oozing cheese? Especially SHEEP’S MILK cheese? Puh-leez!
You had me in hysterics about your mum. All Greek mothers must have come form the same factory Peter. With a no return policy..LOL
Great kefte with the lovely addition of cheese. I imagine we will be seeing a lot more bbq’d items from you.
Perastika to your mum.
Those Keftedes look so good with the gooey cheese oozing out of them! Nice spice flavouring of the beef.
Peter, you are a good son. The cheese coming out of that burger has made me want one of those burgers very badly. Why or why don’t I have any ground meat in the fridge???
As I am still fasting, just looking at this dish was an excruciating torment… I think this will be the first meat dish I make after Easter!! Beautiful, simply beautiful!!!
Peter, I can relate to your story about your mom. Mine depends on me for everything. She isn’t very mobile and she can’t drive anymore, so I am always going, doing, shopping, etc. But, she’s a great cook and a talented seamstress, so…I live with it.
Your keftedes look out of this world! I love that gooey, melty cheese! I sometimes make baked, stuffed meatballs with mozzarella. Kind of like keftedes, Italian style! :)
Sounds like Mom is really giving you a workout! Good for her! Italian Mom’s and MIL’s are exactly the same, but they’re worth it. Your keftedes looks outstanding! Thats low cal right?
:)
I’m glad your mom is doing well, Peter! Take care of her like you’ve been doing, she did a great job raising a wonderful son and she deserves it. ;)
Your keftedes are making my cry. You see, it’s raining here in canaryland today, so there’s no possibility of grilling these little beauties. You can bet they will be making an appearance soon, though! I wonder…would they work as meatballs on skewers? Gorgeous food, Peter. Gorgeous food. Now check that dryer! ;)lol
Leah, I offered her the bell but she prefers the “THUD THUD THUD” of the cane!
Happy, she’s wonderful despite her ways and a joy to watch in the kitchen.
Never full, this lady can be charming too…full roster of friends, aquaintenaces, etc…someone looked up to.
Judy, blue cheese is perfectly fine, I luv it too!
Constantina, thanks for writing…I miss my giagia too!
Oh Kittie, my mom plays tough lady but then I hear her complement me to her hen friends…all’s forgiven after.
Val, come on by for the “interview”…she would love a daughter.
Lori, let me know what Greek cheeses they have & I’ll give you a primer, k?
Elly, now we’re big kids…still eating keftedes and fries…and why not?
Ben, you would surely make a fabulous Mexican version of this.
Psych, you know the drill…visit my site, risk eating more…show others at work my blog.
Nuria, I put in extrea cheese just for you, chica.
Katie, tartare is chopped finely on order and that’s why it’s safe, whereas ground beef has been exposed to oxygen for a while…cooties have to be cooked.
Sylvie, this mom’s a live one…hard to pin down.
Nina, your kids would love these too.
Jen, the melted cheese made me drool too!
Winedeb, I just caught that now…good eye!
Toni, I find sheep’s milk to make the tastiest, stinkiest cheese.
Pete, lots of BBQ…I take full advantage of our abridged Canadian summers.
Laurie, get the ground beef on that shopping list, toute suite!
Sam, you’ll have these as meze before Easter lamb, no?
Sticky, our parents tended to us, we must return the care.
Marie, Atkins and lo-cal all the way! lol
Nikki, glad it’s raining there…serves you right for gloating with your cockles!
Laundry is complete..Phew!
Yum! I love anything stuffed with cheese! I love the way it oozes out, that’s fab. I completely agree with you about the fat content of the meat, too lean and it just dries out completely. I’m glad to hear your mum is doing ok.
I’m glad to hear about your mom. Really am.
So your mother is European/Mediterranean – it all comes with the territory – if there isn’t suffering it’s not worth it. When she starts beating her chest and says “oy”, you know you have a problem.
Two patties, special sauce, cheese – no bun, we almost had a McGreek burger. The cheese is the definite clincher.
These are like the upscale Juicy Lucy burgers they serve in the cafeteria at work. I much prefer these!
Gosh Peter these look so good like a burger stuffed with cheese! Glad to hear your mum is doing well :)
Rosie x
This looks so good. Anything stuffed with cheese is good.
Those are some burgers, you don’t mess around! Glad your mom is doing well.
Glad your mother’s recoup is going well… I’m sure it’s due, in part, to all of the care and attention you’re bestowing. Well, and maybe because of those stuffed burgers! You’re feeding her well, I’m sure!