Romanian Meatballs / Chiftele

Directions

1.  Wash, peel, and grate the carrots and potatoes as fine as possible. Squeeze between a few layers of paper towel to draw off excess water. Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the ground beef, potato, carrot, parsley, 2 Tbs flour, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

3.  Form the mixture into equal sized balls, about the size of a heaping tablespoon. Make them as compact as possible, squeezing out excess water.

4.  In a pan, add the oil and heat over a medium-high flame.

5.  Pour a bit of flour into a bowl, and roll the Chiftele in flour. Fry them in the oil, turning occasionally until brown and cooked all the way through.

6.  When done, place on a plate with a layer of paper towel to drain off excess oil.                                        

 

Notes: Chiftele are traditional Romanian meatballs, usually served with tomato sauce, mustard, sour cream, or other dips. They also work well as an appetizer together with cheese, tomato slices, peppers, and/or cabbage. Stick them in a sandwich with slices of cheese and mustard if you happen to have any left over the next day! Ground beef can be hard to find in Romania – but if you just ask, most butcher shops (and some supermarkets) will grind beef to order.

 

Variations: Try adding ½ c cheese and a hot pepper for a spicier version.

 

Substitutions: Ground beef/Ground meat (tocăniţă).