Seriously, who does not love meatballs? Meatballs on sandwiches, meatballs with pasta, meatballs in soup, meatballs on top of macaroni and cheese, meatballs on a pizza, cocktail meatballs, Swedish meatballs, a meatball bahn mi, or meatballs all by themselves. Okay, well maybe those, who for a myriad of personal or health reasons, no longer subscribe to a carnivorous way of life. However, for those of us who continue to indulge ourselves in those little round, juicy, tender bites of comfort food deliciousness, these Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers definitely need to put on the meatball rotation. Why? Well because it would almost be a crime not to experience them.
Depending on your early life influences, the advice given by the food writers or chefs you have put on your own silver plater, the recipe you are making, or simply your taste preferences, you will fry, roast/bake, and/or braise your meatballs. There are some rather loyal and overly passionate professional and home cooks out there who swear (although not literally use four letter words) to advocate for the single, one right way to cook meatballs. I happen to know a couple of them. Then there are those of like me, who at the moment, don't seem to have a foot in one particular meatball cooking camp. We are apt to sing the praises of all of them, until such time we feel compelled to choose only one. Spoiler Alert: These meatballs are fried. There are only so many food battles one can fight. And the last time I checked I believe I had exceeded my quota.
Immediately upon seeing chef Seamus Mullen's recipe for Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers in the April (2015) issue of Bon Appetit, I knew it was one of those 'absolutely, definitely, must make' dishes. Actually I was salivating at the thought of the taste of these meatballs. Shame on me for procrastinating several months before making it. Looking back, there were several occasions where these meatballs, along with some homemade hummus and grilled Naan, would have made for the perfect 'little' meal or 'appetizers'. But the kicking myself doesn't end there. Had I made this recipe when I first saw it, I would have bought and planted more herbs this summer (oh, how spoiled I was in the east coast farmhouse).
This recipe looks complicated and time consuming. It really isn't (although degree of difficulty lends itself to various interpretations). However, there are quite a few spices in both the meatballs and the sauce which some of you may find a little off-putting (please try to get over that feeling). However, if you have a well stocked spice drawer, are a big fan and maker of Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes, or make lamb somewhat frequently, you will not be deterred by the number of spices and herbs going into the making of these meatballs. You might even be saying 'the more the merrier'!
Time for a bit of a digression and true confession. More often than I sometimes like to admit (at least publicly), there are ingredients I have never used before, making me a little clueless as to where to find them in the grocery store. So if you are someone (like me) who has never cooked with pasilla chiles before, don't look for them in the produce section (like I did). They are actually dried chiles and most likely found in one of the ethnic food aisles of your grocery store.
Removing the seeds from the dried pasilla chiles reduces the amount of 'heat' in the sauce. So if when you saw the word chile in the recipe you immediately thought 'hot', you would have guessed wrong. The better description of them is 'robustly flavored'. The Bon Appetit recipe called for the use of red pepper flakes, however, I used Aleppo pepper instead as it somewhat milder in flavor and heat. But if you like spicy hot, feel free to use the red pepper flakes. I don't have a spice grinder or use my coffee grinder for grinding herbs. Instead I use a small food processor which so far has worked well.
In addition to dried spices, the meatballs are made with three different fresh herbs (parsley, oregano and sage) and topped with another (mint).
The meatball mixture comes together easily in a food processor.
For uniform sized meatballs I like using an ice cream scoop. This recipe yields approximately 24-26 1 1/2 inch in diameter meatballs. For a gathering 5 or 6 people (where you were making this and one other appetizer) a single batch of the meatballs and sauce should be plenty (unless of course they come to your house and are 'hangry'). More than likely though, there will be not be any leftovers.
If you have a cast iron skillet, use it to fry up these meatballs. If you don't use the heaviest bottom fry pan that you have. In the 5 to 8 minutes it takes to cook the meatballs, you want to make sure they are cooked through and have a nice crust (not burnt) crust to them. It took only two Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to fry up all of these meatballs.
Once cooked, the meatballs are transferred to a baking sheet lined with paper towels in order to allow them to drain.
The drained meatballs are then mixed in with the chile-cumin sauce. As delicious as these meatballs are all by themselves, they are transformed when coated in the sauce. Note: If by chance you make a double batch of the meatballs and sauce and have some leftover, they do reheat up nicely in a very low oven or in the microwave.
English cucumbers mixed with some lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sherry vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt and pepper are the perfect compliment to the meatballs. The crisp slightly acidic cucumbers, the creaminess of the yogurt, and the deeply flavored meatballs make for the ultimate meatball eating experience.
This is definitely what I would call one of those 'impressive' dishes. The kind of dish that makes any of us home cooks look like professional chefs, yet it doesn't require years of culinary training or expertise to be able to make. These are after all just meatballs. Only these Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers are the kind most likely to leave an impression on your palate, the kind of impression you are not likely to forget, and more than likely want to experience again and again and again. Yet if by chance you subscribe to the notion of all good things in 'moderation' (aka an incomprehensible, deprivation-like form self-control), these meatballs will have you rethinking it. These are one of those 'Life is short' reminders we all need every once in a while.
Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers (slight adaptation to Bon Appetit's Chile-Cumin Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt and Cucumbers April 2015 recipe)
Makes approximately 24-26 meatballs.
Ingredients
Chile Sauce
3 dried pasilla chiles, seeds removed, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper (or can use crushed red pepper flakes)
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 Tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
Meatballs
1/4 cup onion, minced
7-8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 pounds ground lamb
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Cucumber Mixture and Assembly
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup plain cow's or sheep's whole milk yogurt (recommend Fage) or Labna
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper) for serving
Directions
Chile-Cumin Sauce
I. In a small skillet, toast chopped chiles, aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes) and cumin seeds over medium heat. Toss occasionally until fragrant and cumin seeds are golden (approximately 3 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In either a mini-food processor or spice mill, process spice mixture until finely ground. Transfer to a small food processor.
3. To the spice mixture, add the sherry vinegar, smoked sweet paprika and garlic. Blend until smooth.
4. With motor running, slowly add in extra virgin olive oil until combined. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt.
5. Cover sauce whether or not serving immediately. If not, place chile sauce in the refrigerator. It can be made several hours or up to 2 days ahead. When serving, heat sauce slightly to take the chill off.
Meatballs
1. In a large food processor, pulse onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, sage, fennel seeds, coriander, cumin and 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt until finely chopped.
2. Add ground lamb, egg and flour. Pulse until combined.
3. Form lamb mixture into 1 1/2" balls.
4. In a large skillet (preferably a cast iron skillet), heat 2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
5. Working in 2 batches, cook meatballs, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through on all sides (about 5-8 minutes). Transfer cooked meatballs to a sheet pan lined with paper towels to drain. Note: If needed can add 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil to pan, however, I found it wasn't necessary.
6. Transfer meatballs to a medium-sized bowl and add chile sauce. Toss to coat.
Cucumber Mixture and Assembly
1. In a medium sized bowl, toss cucumbers with lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, sherry vinegar and 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
2. For individual servings, spoon some of the yogurt sauce on the plate/bowl, top with 4-5 meatballs, add 7-8 slices of cucumber, sprinkle lightly with chopped mint and aleppo pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
3. For buffet serving, spread yogurt on bottom on platter, arrange meatballs, add cucumber slices, sprinkle lightly with chopped mint and aleppo pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
Notes: (1) Meatballs are delicious warm or at room temperature, (2) If yogurt is too thick to spread, mix in some freshly squeezed lemon juice so it has a creamier texture, (3) If making for a large gathering, make a double batch and (4) If you serve with some Grilled Naan and homemade hummus, well you don't just have a full meal, you have the makings of a party.
Random photos of bridges.
