The Humble Meatball In All It's Glorious Deliciousness!

Yummy Meatball Sliders with Creamy Feta Sauce
& Oven Roasted Fries 

One thing I love about meatballs is you can change the spices to come up with some amazing flavor combinations.  Almost every country has their own version of meatballs, and some of the most well known are Chinese, Italian, Spanish or Mexican Albóndigas, Swedish, and Turkish Köfte.  It is unclear who made the first meatball but most countries claim invention of this wonderful treat.  It is documented that Romans were serving meatballs around 25 AD.

Most meatballs start out with a ground or minced meat, combined with egg, stale bread and a variety of spices.  Meatballs can be grilled, broiled, boiled, pan-fried and in Turkey there is also a raw version called Çiğ Köfte.  Çiğ Köfte is a speciality and like sushi, utmost care is taken to use the freshest, best quality meat when it is prepared.  It is thought that meatballs came into being because people wanted to stretch their budget.  By adding stale bread or rice and some egg as a binder, it stretched the portions so more people could be served.  So whether you are wanting to stretch your budget or you just want a delicious  meal, make some of my meatballs!  Serve them with rice, pasta or potatoes and a salad or as an appetizer.  I made them and served them on slider buns with my homemade oven fries and creamy feta sauce.  They were amazing.  Check back this week because I will be posting the recipe for the fries and feta sauce!

April's Meatballs or Meat Patties aka Kofte

Ingredients

• 2 Pounds Ground Beef 80/20
• 2 Small Onions
• 2 Slices Toasted Bread
• 5 Cloves Garlic
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Handful Parsley
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Dried Mint

Cooking Directions

1. Place the ground beef in a large, deep mixing bowl.
2. Peel the onion and place in food processor and pulse for one minute.
3. Add the eggs, parsley, milk, salt, black pepper, chili powder, paprika, cumin, mint and the two slices of toasted bread. Pulse 1 - 2 minutes.
4. Add to the ground beef and mix well with clean hands until thoroughly combined.
5. Shape into patties or balls which can then be fried in a pan or on a griddle, grilled on a BBQ grill, or broiled in the oven. If you shape into balls, they can be used in soups and stews.