Middle Eastern Meatballs
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
6
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1–2 teaspoons finely-chopped garlic
1 teaspoon crushed dried mint
Salt to taste
¾ pound 93% lean ground beef
½ cup cooked brown rice
⅓ cup finely-chopped onion
¼ cup packed cilantro, chopped coriander
¼ cup packed flat-leaf parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, and mint. Season to taste with salt.
Set the broiler rack 5 inches from the heat.
Preheat the broiler.
In a mixing bowl, combine the meat, rice, onion, cilantro, parsley, cinnamon, cumin, red and black peppers, and ½ teaspoon salt, stirring mixture with a fork until it is well blended
With your hands, form the mixture into 1½-inch meatballs.
As you make them, place the meatballs on a baking sheet that fits under the broiler.
Broil the meatballs until they are well browned on top, 4 to 5 minutes.
5 minutes
Using tongs, turn and cook until the meatballs are browned outside and no longer pink in the center, 3–4 minutes.
3–4 minutes
Transfer them to a serving plate and serve warm, passing the yogurt sauce in a bowl.