Lebanese Meatballs
Ingredients
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground lamb
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, or use prepared crumbs
1/2 cup finely crumbled goat cheese you can use feta
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil for browning
pine nuts for garnish
Yogurt Sauce
1 cup yogurt
1/8 cup tahini optional
1/4 cup cilantro parsley, mint, or a combination, finely minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic minced
salt to taste
Directions
Set oven to 350F
For the meatballs: Put everything except the olive oil into a large bowl. Make sure you egg is beaten. With as little manipulation as possible, combine all the ingredients thoroughly together. The less you work the mixture the more tender your meatballs will be.
Form into small balls and set on a plate. Using a scoop makes the process clean and easy.
If you want to do this part ahead, you can, just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate till you’re ready to cook.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs, in batches, for several minutes, turning them once or twice in the pan.
Transfer the meatballs to a baking sheet and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, until done. The time will depend on the size of your meatballs, I like to use my cooking thermometer to check one; it should read about 160 degrees. They will continue to cook a bit after they’re out.
For the sauce mix up all the ingredients and thin with a little milk if it seems too thick. This can be made ahead.
Serve the meatballs with the sauce and a few pine nuts for garnish.
