Middle Eastern meatballs can be made of lamb or beef, and are flavored with interesting fragrant spices we don’t usually associate with grilled burgers, which in essence is what these pitas above are filled with.
Yes, they are oval shaped, yes, they are served on warm pitas, yes, they are topped with a yogurt sauce instead of ketchup, mustard, or mayo, and yes they are a nice change of pace for a quick summer dinner while we are still in grilling mode.
I have made lamb burgers on brioche buns before, but these oval lamb patties are seasoned with fragrant middle eastern spices, served on warm pitas, and accompanied by a minty, dilly yogurt sauce! Hmm hmm Good!
Here’s the recipe I found on Epicurious…
Whether you spell it kefta or köfte or kufte or some other variation, you can find versions of these lamb or beef meatballs throughout the Middle East. The seasoning mixture here is simple, with spices you should already have on your shelf and you can play around, adding fresh or dried mint, grated onion, or a pinch of cinnamon. And if you like a garlicky yogurt sauce, by all means, add a minced clove.
Spiced Middle Eastern Lamb Patties with Pita and Yogurt
(Kristin Donnelly, Epicurious, May 2014)
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 pita sandwiches
Ingredients
Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup plain full-fat or low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped herbs, such as mint, dill, or cilantro, plus herb sprigs, for serving
fresh minced garlic to taste, optional
Kosher salt
Patties and Pita:
1 and ½ pounds ground lamb or beef (I used grass-fed lamb)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 1 large clove) (more if you like)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 and1/2 teaspoons hot paprika (I used regular)
1 and ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
1 and ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 pita rounds
Preparation
For the sauce:
In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the lemon juice. Stir in the chopped herbs, (garlic, if using), season with salt and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the patties and pita:
In a bowl, use your hands to mix together all of the ingredients, except for the pita. Form the mixture into ten to twelve 3-inch patties (about 1 inch thick).
Arrange the patties on a plate and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
Preheat a grill for at least 10 minutes and prepare it for grilling over moderately high heat. If you are using a charcoal grill, leave one area where you can grill the pita indirectly.
Oil the grates and grill the patties until dark brown grill marks form on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes.
Flip the patties and grill for 4 to 6 minutes longer, until just cooked through.
Meanwhile,wrap the pita in foil and set the package on the top shelf of a gas grill or in the cooler spot of a charcoal grill and allow them to warm through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Wrap 2 or 3 patties in each pita, spoon some of the yogurt sauce alongside and serve with herb sprigs, passing the remaining sauce at he table.
Note: Add sliced onion, tomatoes, cucumbers, and calamata olives as desired.