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blopez34

Active member
What is your favorite meat to cook on the grill Greek-style? I always think Greek grilling is at its best when the seasoning is fairly simple and the flavor of the meat still comes through.

Lamb is probably the first thing that comes to mind, especially chops seasoned with olive oil, lemon, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pork souvlaki is another favorite, and chicken can be excellent when it has had enough time to marinate. I also really enjoy biftekia on the grill, especially when they are seasoned with herbs and served with lemon potatoes, salad, or grilled pita.

I’d love to hear what everyone else prefers. Do you usually grill lamb, pork, chicken, sausages, or something else? Are there any particular marinades, seasonings, or family techniques you always use? And what sides do you normally serve with a Greek-style grilled meal?
 
What is your favorite meat to cook on the grill Greek-style? I always think Greek grilling is at its best when the seasoning is fairly simple and the flavor of the meat still comes through.

Lamb is probably the first thing that comes to mind, especially chops seasoned with olive oil, lemon, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pork souvlaki is another favorite, and chicken can be excellent when it has had enough time to marinate. I also really enjoy biftekia on the grill, especially when they are seasoned with herbs and served with lemon potatoes, salad, or grilled pita.

I’d love to hear what everyone else prefers. Do you usually grill lamb, pork, chicken, sausages, or something else? Are there any particular marinades, seasonings, or family techniques you always use? And what sides do you normally serve with a Greek-style grilled meal?
 

Greek cooking without a recipe?

I've been thinking about how much traditional Greek cooking relies on instinct rather than following exact recipes. Some of the Greek dishes I learned to make were taught to me by feel, with someone showing me what to do rather than measuring everything out.

I actually enjoy cooking this way, but I've noticed that it can make certain dishes difficult to recreate consistently! Sometimes everything comes together perfectly, and other times I wonder what I did differently.

I'm curious how others approach this. Did you learn Greek cooking by watching your yiayia, mother, or other relatives? Do you measure ingredients, or do you just know when something looks, smells, or tastes right?

Favorite Greek Cheeses Beyond Feta

Feta gets most of the attention when people talk about Greek cheese, but there are so many other varieties worth trying. I’m curious which Greek cheeses everyone enjoys most beyond feta.

Graviera is one of my favorites because it works so well on a cheese plate, grated over dishes, or just eaten with bread. Kasseri is another one I really like, especially melted. I’ve also been interested in trying more regional cheeses like metsovone, manouri, kefalotyri, and formaela.

Some Greek cheeses seem to be much easier to find outside Greece than others, so I’d also love to know which ones people regularly buy and where they usually find them.

What Greek cheeses do you keep coming back to? Are there certain ones you associate with a particular region, dish, or family tradition? And if someone has mostly eaten feta, which Greek cheese would you recommend they try next?

My Family’s Keftedes Recipe

Keftedes are one of those foods that always remind me of family gatherings. Everyone seems to make them a little differently, but this is the basic version my family has always used.

For about a pound of ground beef, we add one small grated onion, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a little fresh mint, one egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and a small splash of red wine vinegar. Sometimes we add a little grated garlic as well.

The important part is mixing everything well and then letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator for a little while before shaping the keftedes. We make them fairly small, roll them lightly in flour, and fry them in olive oil until browned on the outside and cooked through.

We usually serve them with lemon, potatoes, salad, or tzatziki.

How does your family make keftedes? I’m especially curious about which herbs and seasonings everyone uses. Thought I'd share!

Do You Make Avgolemono Thick or Brothy?

I usually prefer avgolemono somewhere in the middle. I don’t like it so thick that it feels almost like a cream soup, but I also don’t want it completely thin and brothy. For me, the best version has enough egg and lemon to give the broth some body while still keeping it light.

A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

The lemon level matters just as much as the thickness. I like enough lemon to make it bright and noticeable, but not so much that it overwhelms everything else. I think balance is really the key.

How do you keep homemade spanakopita from getting soggy?

I've been thinking about making homemade spanakopita, and one thing I'm trying to figure out is how to keep it from getting soggy. I love when the phyllo is nice and crispy, but I know that spinach releases a lot of moisture, which can make that difficult.

I've heard that squeezing as much liquid as possible out of the spinach is important, especially when using frozen spinach. I've also heard that some people cook the spinach first to help remove excess moisture. I'm wondering if there are other tricks that make a difference.

Does the type of feta you use matter? What about the amount of olive oil or butter between the phyllo layers? I'm also curious whether the baking temperature makes a difference.

For those of you who make spanakopita regularly, what are your best tips for getting that perfectly crispy texture?
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