Has anyone here ever made moussaka?

[Ohiogal]

Did you use ground beef or ground lamb? Mr. O says he doesn’t like lamb, but I wonder if beef would be as good in this dish.

[Moostache]

1. I have made it both ways...

I prefer the flavor profile of lamb but it tends to be a little more greasy in an eggplant dish like Moussaka. If you brown the meat first and strain it very well they are both OK...personal preference for the flavor profile.

You could also always go half-and-half and try it both ways to see if you prefer one to the other...just layer the casserole dish with the meats divided into separate halves...good luck, either way its delicious!

[Ohiogal]

8. That's a good idea

I lean towards using the lamb, but I can understand if he doesn’t like it.

[Doodley]

2. I only make it in the middle of February. I mean, ever heard of the Valentine's Day Moussaka?

[mahina]

4. I'll be here all week folks, try the veal, I mean the lamb and the beef.

10 points by the way. Ha!

[Ohiogal]

6. LOL!

[hedda_foil]

3. I've always used ground beef and it's delicious.

[Ohiogal]

10. Thanks!

[Polly Hennessey]

5. I did many years ago. I followed the classic

recipe and used lamb. It was good but rich and heavy. I made a lighter version once using ground beef. It also was tasty. My casserole days are behind me. Now life is simpler and cooking is at a minimum. Enjoy your moussaka.

[Ohiogal]

12. Good information, thank you

I have my three adult sons here every other Sunday for dinner ... they eat almost anything but the lamb I wasn’t too sure about. I have 3 or 4 eggplants out in the garden to use up.

[procon]

7. I've made it with ground beef or lamb, also in combo.

It's all good. When using ground beef buy the leanest pkg they have and still drain off any remaining fat after browning.

When people say they don't like lamb, it's usually because the lamb wasn't absolutely fresh but was frozen, shipped half way across the planet and thawed for repackaging. Find a local butcher shop for lamb. My local Mexican supermarket has a huge meat counter and the butcher's swear their meats are fresh. The mild taste is proof enough.

Since lamb is a bit pricey, I usually go with a combination of ground beef and lamb. Once you add all the garlic and spices any hint of lamb is gone.

[Ohiogal]

13. Thank you

I wondered if you could mix them.

I saw organic ground lamb in the supermarket yesterday and yes it was pricey,$10/lb. but if I go to all the trouble of making this dish I want to use the best ingredients.

[procon]

14. Organic or not, freshness is key to any lamb dish.

We raised 4H and market lambs back in the day and the freezer was always well stocked with lamb meat with just days between pasture and packaging.

Ask if the lamb you are about to buy has ever been frozen, and avoid that. A local butcher can tell you how old the meat is, and you can also order special to get the freshest meat.

[TEB]

9. Will be over to eat when it is ready

[Ohiogal]

11. Oh and thanks for the idea TEB

[TEB]

15. I love it friend

It is delicious

[catbyte]

16. Actually, my favorite way is to leave the meat out altogether. Same with lasagna.

I know, I'm strange, but I just like the texture better without that ground meat.

[Ohiogal]

17. I'd probably be good with that, too.

But, young men, you know .... they like the meat.

[Retrograde]

18. Made it once

and decided it's easier to find a decent Greek restaurant. Lamb's more traditional, but it can have a strong flavor, so if you want to use beef find with me. Although - can you get goat where you live? It's not as strong as the lamb we get on the West Coast, which is closer to mutton, but a bit tastier than beer. You'll probably have to grind it yourself, though.

[spinbaby]

19. Ground turkey works

I’ve gotten compliments on a ground turkey version. It’s pretty hard to tell what the meat sauce is by the time you layer it with sauce and eggplant.