Middle Eastern Meatballs

Middle Eastern Meatballs
Category:	Meat recipes
Servings:	6
Time:	1 hour
Difficulty:

| Rice

Middle Eastern Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 to 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

Procedure

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, garlic, and mint.
2. Season to taste with salt.
3. Set the broiler rack 5 inches from the heat.
4. Preheat the broiler.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine the meat, rice, onion, cilantro, parsley, cinnamon, cumin, red and black peppers, plus ½ teaspoon salt, stirring mixture with a fork until it is well blended
6. With your hands, for the mixture into 1½ inch meatballs.
7. As you make them, place the meatballs on a baking sheet that fits under the broiler.
8. Broil the meatballs until they are well browned on top, 4 to 5 minutes.
9. Using tongs, turn and cook until the meatballs are browned outside and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes.
10. Transfer them to a serving plate and serve warm, passing the yogurt sauce in a bowl.