Beef Moussaka: Our Greek Style Lasagna is saucy and savory ground beef sandwiched between tender fried slices of eggplant and topped with a creamy cheesy béchamel sauce. Baked to perfection. Will hit all your comfort food cravings in one bite. Using ground (chopped) beef instead of the traditional lamb meat, is made for those who may not care for lamb. A quick and easy substitute for something different. A ‘swap-out’ adaptation of our traditional recipe. Works perfectly regardless of the type of meat, this recipe is delicious and sure to please.

Greek Beef Moussaka Preparing the Best of The Mediterranean Flavors.

This recipe can be broken up into 3 main parts. The eggplant layer, the meat “ragu”, and finally the béchamel sauce. We suggest starting with the eggplant prep. as this requires some inactive time to sit. Lets breakdown each step.

The Eggplant

First off prep and salt the eggplant. Make sure your eggplants are dark and glossy and also free of any large blemishes. Remove the ends and do not peel. Slice the unpeeled eggplant lengthwise in 1/4″ thick slices. A mandoline slicer will make quick work of this step. Salt both sides of each slice liberally and place on a wire rack over a sheet pan. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and place a weight on top to press the eggplant. A heavy bottom pan works great for this. Set the eggplant aside for at least an hour (2 + hours is even better) to draw out some of the moisture. Pat dry and fry each slice in olive oil for 2-3 minutes a side. Drain the browned caramelized slices of additional oil over paper towels. Set aside.

The Beef “Ragu”

Soak the currents in hot water and allow to steep of 30 minutes. In the meantime brown the beef in a large sauté pan. Transfer into a mesh strainer and drain any fat in meat and remaining in pan. Return pan to heat add olive and sauté the onions, garlic, bell peppers and red pepper flake until soft. Return the meat to the pan and and the tomato paste, currants and remaining spices. Mix to incorporate well. Hand crush the whole tomatoes directly into the pan along with any remaining juices in the can. Finally add the red wine and allow the mixture to reduce 20 – 30 minutes. The ragu should be thick and rich without being runny. Remove any remaining bay leaves.

The Béchamel Sauce

In a medium sauce pan melt butter and stir in flour. Whisk in milk in a slow steady stream to avoid clumps. Add grated nutmeg and whisk in the pecorino and feta cheese until smooth and thick. Remove from heat. In a small bowl separate egg yolks add a few tablespoons of the warm béchamel and whisk in briskly order to temper the egg yolks. Incorporate the egg into the sauce.

Assembly and Baking

In a 9 x 13 baking dish begin with a layer of overlapping friend eggplant slices. Cover with half of the ragu mixture. repeat this process one time ending with the ragu mixture. Finally top with the béchamel sauce and sprinkle grated Pecorino cheese. Bake for 1 hour.