Athena Calderone's Lamb Kefte with Tzatziki
I’ve been making lamb meatballs (or kefte) and tzatziki since the late 80s. I was, after all, briefly married to a Greek back then, but, more importantly, I adore Greek cuisine. I typically rely on a recipe called Nicola’s Mother’s Meatballs from one of my all-time favorite Greek restaurants in NYC called Periyali. But while I was reading through my new Cook Beautiful book by Athena Calderone, her Lamb Kefte with Tzatziki recipe convinced me I needed to give hers a try. So I did, and they were superb. The meatballs were so moist and flavorful. I think the fact that I prepared the kefte early and refrigerated them for about 90 minutes might have added to their deliciousness. I didn’t have any bulgur in the house, so I used quinoa, which didn’t soften as much as it probably should have (although it didn’t seem to affect the taste). Next time I’ll use bulgur for sure. The tzatziki was nearly identical to my recipe, except I typically add a splash of red-wine vinegar. I was planning on making some yummy kefte sandwiches with the leftovers, but guess what? There weren’t any leftovers.
Note: Calderone suggest making the tzatziki 2 to 3 hours before serving in order to meld the creamy and garlicky flavors of the sauce.
Serves 6 (or 4 when there are 3 very hungry males at the table)
Ingredients for Kefte
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, heated until steaming
1/4 cup (35 g) coarse bulgur
1 1/2 pounds (680 g) ground lamb
1 large egg
1 onion, very finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup (17 g) finely chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (60 g) toasted pine nuts
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly cracked pepper
Roughly torn or chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, and dill
Preparation
In a small bowl, pour the hot milk over the bulgur and cover with plastic wrap. Let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes to soften.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts for garnish. Add the soaked bulgar along with its excess milk, and mix to combine. Shape the mixture into oval meatballs about the size of a small egg.
Preheat a grill over medium-high heat to about 400°F (205°C). Grill the meatballs in batches until cooked through and lightly charred on all sides, about 12 minutes total.
Serve the meatballs on a piece of warmed flatbread spread with tzatziki, with plenty of torn fresh herbs and a scattering of the reserved pine nuts. Serve extra tzatziki on the side.
Ingredients for Tzatziki
1 cup (240 ml) full-fat Greek yogurt
1 Kirby cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
A few fresh dill sprigs, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
A few fresh mint sprigs, leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
Preparation
In a medium bowl, stir all of the ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with a few pieces of torn dill. The sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
