Baked Cumin-Lamb Meatballs with Lemon-Pepper Herb Yogurt

• 1.5 lb ground lamb, 80% lean
• 1 yellow onion, finely grated
• 3 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 tsp aleppo pepper, plus more for finishing
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the sheet pan
• flaky sea salt, to taste
• fresh mint leaves, torn for finishing (optional)

1. 1

   Heat your oven to 220°C / 425°F and coat a rimmed sheet pan generously with olive oil — the oil should shimmer across the whole surface, because that hot fat is what gives the meatballs their crust. Put the oiled pan in the oven for about 5 minutes so it's sizzling hot before the meatballs go on.

2. 2

   Grate the onion on a box grater and squeeze it hard in your fist over the sink until it's barely damp. If you skip this step the lamb will weep water and steam instead of browning, and you'll wonder why everything looks grey.

3. 3

   Toast the ground cumin and coriander in a small dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then let cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the lamb, grated onion, garlic paste, toasted cumin, coriander, oregano, aleppo pepper, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix with your hands just until everything is distributed — overwork it and the meatballs turn dense and rubbery.

4. 4

   Roll into walnut-sized balls, about 40g each, and space them an inch apart on the hot oiled pan. They should sizzle the moment they hit the metal; if they don't, your pan wasn't hot enough.

5. 5

   Bake for 14-16 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until the surfaces are deeply browned and the internal temperature reads 70°C / 160°F on a probe thermometer.

6. 6

   While the meatballs bake, build the herb yogurt: fold the chopped mint, dill, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and black pepper into the Greek yogurt. Salt it like you mean it — taste and add more lemon or salt until it makes you want to lick the spoon.

7. 7

   Spread the herb yogurt across a wide platter and nestle the hot meatballs straight into it so the yogurt warms slightly and catches the juices. Hit the whole thing with flaky salt, another pinch of aleppo, and torn mint if you've got it. Eat immediately while the contrast between the crisp meat and the cool yogurt is at its peak.

8. 8

   If you're making the herb yogurt ahead, hold the salt and lemon until right before serving — both will pull water out of the herbs and thin the yogurt overnight in the fridge.

No responses yet — be the first.