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lamb meatballs with tahini sauce and red onion salad

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Lamb Meatballs With Tahini Sauce & Red Onion Salad

I try to sneak the flavors of lamb shawarma into as many meals as I can, and this meatball scratches that itch without much effort. Warm spices, zippy tahini dressing, bright sumac, and a red onion salad all come together in a pillowy pita. The real bonus is that everything is just as delicious when you turn the leftovers into a cold sandwich the next day. The mixture of crackers and water is called panade, and it helps the meatballs stay tender and moist. And we keep things interesting with a combination of cooked (onion, spices) and raw (parsley, more spices) aromatics for layers of flavors. Everything is thoroughly mixed until springy and sticky, then allowed to rest before cooking until deeply browned.

Ingredients

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  • Lamb Meatballs With Tahini Sauce & Red Onion Salad
  • by: Sohla El-Waylly
  • June 22, 2021
  • 55 out of 5 stars /
  • 8 Ratings5 total ratings /
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  • Lamb Meatballs With Tahini Sauce & Red Onion Salad
  • Photo by Julia Gartland Prop Stylist: Ali Slagle Food Stylist: Pearl Jones
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  • Prep time
  • 25 hours
  • Cook time
  • 45 minutes
  • Serves
  • 4 Jump to Recipe
  • Author Notes
  • I try to sneak the flavors of lamb shawarma into as many meals as I can, and this meatball scratches that itch without much effort. Warm spices, zippy tahini dressing, bright sumac, and a red onion salad all come together in a pillowy pita. The real bonus is that everything is just as delicious when you turn the leftovers into a cold sandwich the next day. The mixture of crackers and water is called panade, and it helps the meatballs stay tender and moist. And we keep things interesting with a combination of cooked (onion, spices) and raw (parsley, more spices) aromatics for layers of flavors. Everything is thoroughly mixed until springy and sticky, then allowed to rest before cooking until deeply browned.
  • Also try my Turmeric Fish Balls With Peanut Sauce & So Many Herbs—and learn more about how to make juicy, flavorful meatballs with any minced meat here, so you can take meatballs off-script. —Sohla El-Waylly
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  • Lamb Meatballs With Tahini Sauce & Red Onion Salad
  • Ingredients send grocery list
  • Lamb meatballs
  • 1 cup (2 ounces) Ritz crackers
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled, and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1/2 cup (lightly packed) roughly chopped parsley leaves and tender stems
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder (or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Neutral oil, such as safflower or grapeseed, for brushing
  • Tahini sauce
  • 1/2 cup well-stirred tahini
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon (or more) kosher salt
  • Red onion & parsley salad
  • 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup (lightly packed) torn parsley leaves
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon ground sumac
  • 1/4 teaspoon (or more) kosher salt
  • Fixings & assembly
  • 1 large beefsteak tomato, roughly chopped
  • 1 small Persian cucumber, roughly chopped
  • 4 pitas, warmed
  • Hot sauce, for serving

Directions

  • Make the lamb meatballs: In a large bowl, crush the Ritz crackers with your fingers into coarse pieces, ranging in size from large cornflakes to panko-sized bits. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix with your hands until moistened and incorporated, but still lumpy. Let rest for 5 minutes.
  • In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook the onion, garlic, black pepper, coriander, and cumin, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until tender, translucent, and fragrant. Scrape into the bowl with the Ritz cracker mixture.
  • To the Ritz cracker mixture, add the lamb, parsley, egg, turmeric, red chile powder, salt, and cinnamon. Using your hands, knead for 3 to 5 minutes, until well combined, slightly sticky, and springy. (Alternatively, mix the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 1 minute, until well combined and springy.) Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for ideally 24 hours (if you’re in a rush, you can shorten that to 3 hours; if you want to plan ahead, you can refrigerate for up to 3 days).
  • Heat a grill to medium or a broiler to high with a rack 6 inches from the heat source. Portion the lamb mixture with a #16 disher or a 1/4-cup measure (you should get about 14). Wet your hands, then roll the portions between your palms to form smooth balls. Rub or brush the meatballs all over with the oil.
  • Grill or broil the meatballs, carefully flipping once with a spoon or offset spatula halfway through, for 16 to 18 minutes, until browned on all sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a meatball registers at least 155°F (it’s okay if they are cooked to a higher temperature), or no longer look pink in the center when split in half. Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  • Make the tahini sauce: While the meatballs rest, prepare the tahini sauce and red onion salad: In a medium bowl, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, oil, and salt until well combined. Whisk in 4 to 5 tablespoons of ice water until the consistency is smooth and as thick as pancake batter. Taste and add more salt if needed.
  • Make the red onion and parsley salad: In another medium bowl, massage the onion, parsley, lemon juice, sumac, and salt with your hands until the onions have wilted. Taste and add more salt if needed.
  • Prepare the fixings and assemble everything together: Serve the meatballs on a platter alongside the tahini sauce, red onion salad, chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, warm pitas, and hot sauce.

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