The bifteki is worldwide famous as a key ingredient for American hamburgers. However, its story goes centuries back in Europe. Bifteki wasn't a fast food but a delicacy of the upper class. The scent of juicy roasted bifteki takes you to the Greek Mediterranean coast.
But what is a bifteki?
The ancestor of bifteki is the gourmet tartare or steak tartare, i.e. chopped raw beef fillet. In the Middle Ages, minced meat was only a delicacy for the upper class. At the beginning of the 19th century, the bifteki came to America for the first time with immigrants from Hamburg.
Combined with a variety of tasty side dishes it became popular and is sold in canteens and on street stalls. Passers-by found it difficult to eat a juicy bifteki with their bare fingers so bread came into play. This is how the well-known and delicious dish "Hamburger" (burger in a round bun) was created.
What is the ideal meat for the bifteki?
The meat combinations vary depending on the type you want to prepare. Minced beef, pork, lamb, mutton, chicken or turkey.
Ground beef
The minced meat chosen mainly for the preparation of the bifteki is the beef. It usually comes from a 9-12 month old calf. Beef comes from a larger animal - 20 months and older - and is considered meat with good taste. I
Minced pork
Minced pork is mainly used in admixtures for the preparation of meatballs, but also in mixes for biftekia.
From chicken or turkey
If you are a fan of healthy diet but also want to eat bifteki, you can choose between chicken or turkey. Choose the breast to the thigh fillet. The recommended ratio for your ground beef is 60% breast and 40% leg.
Bifteki, meatballs or burgers?
Many people confuse it with Greek meatballs and burgers. Although they aren't the same we could say bifteki recipe is from the same family.
Both biftekis and meatballs and burgers are made with minced meat. The main difference is in the preparation and the shape.
For the burger, we simply knead the raw minced meat with various spices. Bifteki and burger also have a similar shape (oval), while the meatballs are smaller (20-25g) and round like small balls. The meatballs are traditionally deep-fried, while the bifteki is usually prepared in the oven or on a grill pan. The meat is cooked for 20 minutes.
Soutzoukakia, meatballs with red sauce are a a variant of bifteki . An equally popular combination is the so-called bifteki gemisto (filled with cheese). You can mix the meat in a large bowl with salt egg. Cheeses that melt inside the meat are the best choice. Some options are Kefalotyri, Kefalograviera, and Graviera. You can also try it with feta cheese.
Whichever variant you choose, you can be sure that you will be enchanted by the taste and uniqueness of this dish!
A few words about the burger...
The burger has been Americans' favorite food for years and has finally found its way into Greek households in recent years.
The favorite burger has become an art in recent years due to the complexity of its preparation. The burger is the hallmark of fast food and one of the symbols of American culture.
Choosing the right bread is important as it should be fluffy and soft at the same time but not dissolving through the addition of material! Lettuce, tomato, cheese slices, bacon, mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, red onion and slices of feta can enhance your taste. But the bifteki is the most important ingredient that makes the difference to a classic sandwich.
