Biftekia, Μπιφτέκια

Greek burgers anyone?

Growing up, my sister and I were fortunate enough to have home-cooked meals. And even though both of our parents worked, and my sister and I had homework/after-school activities, dinner as a family was always a priority. However, unlike your typical American family, we would never have mac and cheese, grilled cheese, take out from McDonalds/Burger King/Subway/Wendys for dinner—actually, I can count on one hand how many times we would have fast food/junk food a year. Instead, my mom, grandma, and dad (when he had the odd day off from work) would make traditional Greek dishes. Biftekia, or Μπιφτέκια, is one of these dishes. By the way, I’ve not eaten red meat in 15+ years, but back when I did, I loved these.

What are biftekia? Well, it’s your typical bland burger patty PLUS lots of herbs, breadcrumbs, eggs, and MINUS the bread. In fact, biftekia are usually served with pita bread, rice, lemon potatoes, hand-cut French fries, or even vegetables. 

One last note (& I have to put this in because my mom made sure to point it out): Biftekia are typically elongated in shape. I made mine round, because I like them round; feel free to shape them how you like.

So now that you know that what a bifteki is, on to the recipe.

Biftekia, Μπιφτέκια

500g beef mince, you can also use a mix of beef and pork if you like

1 onion, finely chopped or grated

1 large Egg

10-15 g Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

25-30g Breadcrumbs

15-20g Parmesan, grated

½ tbsp Salt

½ tbsp Pepper

1 tbsp Oregano

1 tbsp Olive Oil

Method

1.      When you have prepped all your ingredients, add them to a large bowl. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly incorporated.

2.      Place the meat in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to rest & to develop flavour.

 3.      Preheat oven to 200C/380F. Divide your mixture into patties, I made about 6. Cook in the oven (or grill them) for 20-30 minutes or to taste (these came out medium/well). Serve with french fries, rice, lemon potatoes, or even with some pita bread.

And there you have it. An easy, alternative recipe for burgers. Enjoy!

If you are wondering how to make fresh pita bread, don't worry; the recipe will be up on the blog soon.

And if you are looking for more Greek recipes, be sure to check out my delicious  Spinach Pie and my recipe for Stuffed cabbage (lahanodolmades)