Name: Lamb Meatball Pitas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: For the meatballs -; 1 slice sandwich bread, ripped into small pieces -; 1/3 cup whole milk -; 1 large egg -; 1 pound ground lamb -; 2 cloves garlic, minced -; 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped -; 3 tablespoons mint, chopped -; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander -; 1 teaspoon kosher salt -; 1 teaspoon ground cumin -; 1 teaspoon orange zest -; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon -; 1/16 teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste -; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil -; 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses -; For the garlic yogurt sauce -; 1/2 cup Greek yogurt -; 1 clove garlic, minced -; 1 tablespoon lemon zest -; Salt, to taste -; Pepper, taste -; To serve -; 4 pita pockets, halved (and warmed, optional) -; Garlic yogurt sauce (optional) -; 4 cups lightly packed arugula or baby watercress -; 8 mint leaves, torn into smaller pieces -; 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds -

Recipe information

Cooking:

30 min.

Servings per container:

Source:

More details

Ingredients for - Lamb Meatball Pitas

1. For the meatballs -

2. 1 slice sandwich bread, ripped into small pieces -

3. 1/3 cup whole milk -

4. 1 large egg -

5. 1 pound ground lamb -

6. 2 cloves garlic, minced -

7. 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped -

8. 3 tablespoons mint, chopped -

9. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander -

10. 1 teaspoon kosher salt -

11. 1 teaspoon ground cumin -

12. 1 teaspoon orange zest -

13. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon -

14. 1/16 teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste -

15. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil -

16. 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses -

17. For the garlic yogurt sauce -

18. 1/2 cup Greek yogurt -

19. 1 clove garlic, minced -

20. 1 tablespoon lemon zest -

21. Salt, to taste -

22. Pepper, taste -

23. To serve -

24. 4 pita pockets, halved (and warmed, optional) -

25. Garlic yogurt sauce (optional) -

26. 4 cups lightly packed arugula or baby watercress -

27. 8 mint leaves, torn into smaller pieces -

28. 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds -

How to cook deliciously - Lamb Meatball Pitas

1. Stage

Preheat the broiler and prepare a sheet pan: Arrange the top rack of the oven to 4 inches below the broiler. Preheat the broiler on high heat. Line a sheet pan with a sheet of foil and set aside.

2. Stage

Make the panade: In a small bowl, combine the bread and milk with a fork or your fingers so that the bread is moistened. Set aside to let the bread soak up the milk evenly and turn mushy.

3. Stage

Combine meatball ingredients: In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg using a fork. Add the lamb, crumbling it into the bowl. Sprinkle the garlic, cilantro, mint, coriander, salt, cumin, orange zest, cinnamon, and cayenne evenly over the lamb. Add the mushy bread mixture to the bowl, rubbing it between your fingers to turn it into wet crumbs. Gently mix the lamb mixture with your hands just enough to so that it’s evenly mixed. The meatballs will toughen and be dense if the mixture is overworked.

4. Stage

Form the meatballs: Scoop out a scant 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll it between your palms to form a 1 1/2-inch meatball. Place it onto the prepared sheet pan. Continue to form meatballs until all of the meat mixture is used up, putting them in a single layer in the center of the sheet pan. You should have about 24 meatballs.

5. Stage

Coat the meatballs in oil: Drizzle the oil over the meatballs on the sheet pan and gently roll the meatballs around to lightly coat them. Spread them out into a single layer in rows. Alternatively, spray the sheet pan with cooking spray before you place the meatballs on them, and then spray the meatballs again before broiling.

6. Stage

Broil the meatballs: Broil the meatballs until they are lightly golden and cooked through, rotating the pan halfway through, about 8 minutes total. (Sometimes I forget to rotate the pan and they’re fine, just less evenly colored.) Depending on how well you like your lamb, it’s ok if the meat is still a little pink, as long as it’s no longer raw.

7. Stage

Drizzle the meatballs with pomegranate molasses: Transfer the meatballs to a bowl. Drizzle the pomegranate molasses over the meatballs and gently toss with a spoon to coat.

8. Stage

Make the garlic yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

9. Stage

Warm the pitas: Stack the pitas into a pile, then wrap the pile completely in damp paper towels. Place the pitas on a microwave-safe plate and heat on high power in the microwave until warmed through, 15 to 30 seconds. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle both sides of each pita with a few drops of water, then stack them. Wrap the pitas completely in a damp paper towel, then wrap the towel covered pitas in foil. Heat in the oven until warmed through, about 8 minutes. Keep wrapped until ready to assemble and serve.