I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day.
Today, a settled gloom over Tulsa, accompanied by drizzle, made it all rather dull. The kitchen needed some extra spice to bring in some vibrancy and interest. I found it.
Searching the world for a recipe that made tender and juicy meatballs that were edible sunshine proved challenging. Bemoaning the prospect of eating yet another tough, poorly flavored meatball relegated me to almost giving up eating them ever again, but this week, some match lit a taper of an idea in my head. The weather shoved me to pursue it.
The scents and seasonings of East Africa make me smile. Think lemons, fenugreek, onions, garlic, ginger, cardamom, and lime powder. Using these ingredients made incredibly flavorful meatballs. Make these as an appetizer, or to add to your favorite pizza or pasta. If I could have found some caul fat, I would have wrapped them in it, fried them up, and served them for breakfast.
EAST AFRICAN SPICED LAMB MEATBALLS
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BERBERE SPICE BLEND
1 Tablespoon fenugreek seeds, toasted with 2 whole cloves
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 Tablespoons ground cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon lime powder
FOR THE MEATBALLS
1 - 2 Tablespoons sesame, peanut, or vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and medium diced
3 - 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
salt and pepper
1 pound of ground lamb meat
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 Tablespoons berbere spice blend
METHOD
FOR THE BERBERE SPICE BLEND
In a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, combine all the ingredients in the Berbere Spice Blend.
Grind them to a powder.
Store in an airtight container.
Will last for 6 months before fading.
FOR THE MEATBALLS
In a pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Stir in the onion and cook until it begins to caramelize.
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until it begins to bloom.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
When the onion mixture is cool, add the lamb meat, egg, and spice blend to it.
Gently mix the ingredients to combine. Don’t overwork or the meatballs will be tough.
Heat a pan to cook off a bit.
Taste it and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Once the meat tastes the way you like it, form your meatballs. I made mine slightly bigger than an inch around. If you coat your hands with oil or water, forming the balls will be easier.
Heat a pan with a light coating of oil.
Brown the meatballs. If you make them about an inch around, they should cook through as is. Bigger ones will need to be finished in the oven. For food safety reasons, you’ll want them to reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
For your enjoyment, The Mamas and Papas MY GIRL.
Ground lamb is not something we can readily find around here. That said, these sound wonderful. I've seen dried lemon before but not lime. Interesting ingredient. I actually have fenugreek and all the other spices. Who'd a thunk?
Wow we were both thinking meatballs! This morning I downloaded a Salisbury meatball recipe, a prickly porcupine meatball (has rice) recipe, and a lionshead meatball recipe. We now know there is no longer fried food in our food prep future as neither of us feels well after, so air fryer and oven crispy-baked wings for superbowl. But I like the idea of a delicious meatball too. Yours looks amazing.