juicy lamb meatballs
springtime savory mouthfuls of juicy, sweet deliciousness
Spring is nearly over, and I’m only now sharing one of my favorite recipes that reminds me of the season. Before the temperature starts to climb and we swap our sneakers for sandals, I highly recommend firing up the oven for this dish. These meatballs cook quickly, but that’s certainly not for lack of flavor. I like to serve these as part of a larger spread, and the options are endless: next to a crudite platter with green goddess dipping sauce, alongside roasted carrots over za’atar labneh, over turmeric jeweled rice with a simple arugula salad. Heck, you could take this all the way and stuff a pita with a few meatballs, some cucumbers, tomatoes, chopped lettuce, and a drizzle of tzatziki or swipe of hummus for an easy lunch.
The key to these meatballs is the pomegranate molasses for sweetness and the grated onion for moistness. Lamb shouldn’t dry out as quickly as beef or pork, but you’ll still want to be careful to keep things moist in the oven. I begin by browning them under the broiler to achieve that crispy crust that’s so delicious. If they look underdone and like they might dry out, I’ll cover the baking sheet with foil to begin to steam them from the inside out. A solid minute under the broiler before serving will bring that outdoor crunch layer right back. (Alternatively, you could pan-fry these but take care to work in smaller batches to not overcrowd your pan!)
Ground lamb might be hard to find, and you could certainly substitute pork, chicken, or turkey without any major changes to the recipe. You could also use the standard egg + breadcrumb binder to help glue these together, but I prefer them without the additional filler. If you’re really ambitious, you could discard the idea of meatballs altogether and prepare this as a kofta and serve it exactly the same.1
I hope the weather is warming up wherever you are, and you’re enjoying the fresh start of spring. I highly recommend celebrating by heating up your oven and inviting some friends over to celebrate the change in seasons. Stir up a round of Aperol Spritzes and you might not even need a Mediterranean vacation anymore! See you next week with some more tasty ideas, and hit me up in the chat! ~L
INGREDIENTS
Lamb Meatballs
1 pound ground lamb
3-5 garlic cloves, grated
1 small white onion, grated with juices2
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fresh-ground cumin
1 tsp fresh-ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus more for serving
Chopped fresh mint
Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce
1 lemon
8 oz plain full-fat Greek yogurt
Chopped fresh mint
2-3 garlic cloves
Kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, knead together the lamb, garlic, onion, salt, orange zest, pepper, spices, and 1 tbsp of pomegranate molasses until just combined. Coat hands with a small amount of oil (to prevent sticking!) and gently form into 1-inch meatballs. You should end up with many, many smaller meatballs instead of a few larger ones; this will help them cook quickly and evenly. Transfer the meatballs to a foil-lined baking sheet and store in the fridge until ready to cook (at least 30 minutes if you have it, or up to and no longer than 24 hours).
When you’re ready to eat, heat your broiler to high. Cook meatballs on a greased or aluminum foil-lined baking sheet under the broiler until golden and just cooked through, about 5 minutes, turning if necessary. If the outsides are cooking too quickly, cover the tray with foil and return to the oven for a few more minutes to steam them.3 They should be made small enough to prevent this, though.
Prepare your yogurt dipping sauce: grate a few garlic cloves into full-fat plain Greek yogurt. Add a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt until the flavors pop. Stir in some minced mint and finish seasoning to taste.
To Serve: spear with toothpicks, sprinkle with more chopped mint, and plate alongside more pomegranate molasses for dipping. Alternatively, you could also dip these into a mint-garlic-yogurt sauce or something similar.
Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in South Asian, Central Asian, Balkan, Middle Eastern, North African, and South Caucasian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced meat – usually beef, chicken, pork, lamb or mutton, or a mixture – mixed with spices and sometimes other ingredients. The earliest known recipes are found in early Arab cookbooks and call for ground lamb.
Grate this onion using a box grater and use a small bowl to catch the onion and all its juices. This will be key in keeping the meatballs moist.
Steaming will help keep them from drying out, but it will soften any browned crust you’ve achieved on the outside. You might need to uncover them and broil for a few seconds longer before serving to re-crisp the crust!