Back in the ’90s, the Greek side of my husband’s family would frequent a Greek restaurant in Salt Lake City. My in-laws were chummy with the owner, George.
One of our favorite dishes was bifteki, or Greek beef patties, and after years of requesting his recipe, I finally got it from George after he retired.
Bifteki has become a family favorite. I make a big batch and freeze the meat for future use. It is very flavorful.
The meat is formed into oblong shapes, instead of round patties, and served with tzatziki sauce. You can buy your own tzatziki or use the recipe that was handed down to me. I serve bifteki with a Greek potato salad. Opa!
Any questions or comments, email me at [email protected].
Bifteki
INGREDIENTS
21/2 pounds of ground beef 80% lean
2 eggs
Scant tablespoon garlic powder
Scant tablespoon onion powder
Scant tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon ground oregano
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
21/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 small onion
2 Roma tomatoes
DIRECTIONS
Finely chop the onion and tomatoes and drain through a sieve. Put mixture in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Hand mix and form the meat into oblong shapes. I use 1/3 pound of meat per serving.
In a large fry pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. On medium heat, fry the meat like you would a burger.
If you’re not using all the meat, form it into oblong shapes and freeze. They will be ready to go when thawed for another meal.
Serve with tzatziki.
Tzatziki
INGREDIENTS
1 small English seedless cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, seeds removed
1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried dill or 1 teaspoon fresh dill
3 tablespoons lemon juice
11/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Peel and grate English cucumber. I use a mini processor. Put the pulp between paper towels. Press and drain till most of the moisture is absorbed.
In a bowl, place the cucumber and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning. Leftovers are great as a dip for potato chips.