Lebanese Meatballs
Description
Everyone will fall in love with these lamb and ground beef meatballs. Serve these tasty meatballs as an appetizer or for your main dish with side dishes.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground lamb
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 c. finely crumbled goat cheese or feta
1/2 c. finely chopped scallions
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1/4 c. chopped mint
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 t. ground allspice
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T. olive oil, for browning
pine nuts, for garnish
Yogurt Sauce:
2 c. yogurt
1/4 c. tahini, optional
1/2 c. cilantro, parsley, mint, or a combination, finely minced
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
salt, to taste
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Meatballs:
Put everything except for the olive oil into a large bowl. With as little manipulation as possible, combine all ingredients thoroughly together. The less the mixture is worked, the more tender the meatballs will be. Form into small balls; set on a plate/platter. Use a 1 3/4 inch scooper to make the process clean and easy.
This part can be done in advance, just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet; brown the meatballs, in batches, for several minutes, turning once or twice in the skillet.
Transfer meatballs to a baking sheet; bake for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until done. The time will depend on the size of the meatballs. Use a cooking thermometer to check one; it should read about 160 degrees. They will continue to cook a bit after they're out of oven.
Yogurt Sauce:
Mix all ingredients; thin with a little milk if it's too thick. This can be made in advance.
Serve the meatballs with the sauce. Garnish with a few pine nuts.
4 servings.
*For the best flavor, use only fresh herbs.