Great Balls of Lamb!
Introduction
This is Mama Miche, and today, in my Magic Kitchen: Great Balls of Lamb!
At the time of the making of this video, we have a 15-year-old boy with the sense of humor of a 15-year-old boy. But to keep it real, I have the sense of humor of a 15-year-old boy, too, and I have no excuse. That said, if I make any kind of meatballs, he'll say, "I love balls," and we all roll our eyes but come back with, "That's what she said," 'coz we're mature like that.
When he was a toddler, he was a very picky eater, and one of the few meats that I introduced him to and he liked right away was a lamb meatball. It wasn't even as good as this recipe since I've had a couple of years to work on it.
I know many people do not like the taste of lamb, often finding it too gamy. Now I love lamb, especially shanks, a good New Zealand lamb chop or ground prepared in a Greek or Turkish/Mediterranean style. These lamb meatballs definitely lean towards a Mediterranean taste profile. And my husband, who generally does not like lamb, loves it when I make it like this. It's a winner for the whole famdamily. For this recipe, you need to get a bottle of our Twice Stolen Spice™!
Ad let Mama Miche make your kitchen magic!
Tools
Food chopper or blender
Bowl
Spoon
Air fryer
Spatula or tongs
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
1 lb. Ground lamb (note 1)
¼ cup marinade (see recipe below)
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 egg
Add Twice Stolen Spice™ to taste
Marinade
Makes almost enough for a Turkish army
1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3-5 shallots
3-5 garlic cloves
2 tbsp Twice Stolen Spice™
Lemon or lime zest and the juice from the entire citrus of choice
2 tsp lemon pepper
Handful of fresh chopped parsley* (optional)
Directions
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Prep
Marinade - Combine all ingredients in a food chopper or blender and blend thoroughly. Store the unused portion in the refrigerator. (Note 2)
Meatballs - Mix all ingredients together and let sit for 10 minutes before forming balls and air frying. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Cook
Air fry for 15-20 minutes (depending on size), flipping halfway through cooking.
Sauce (optional but tasty addition I encourage you to try)
Meat drippings
½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth with chicken bouillon
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons cream cheese*
Season to taste with Twice Stolen Spice™
- Combine and mix in a small saucepan and heat thouroughly.
Notes:
If you don't like lamb, sub any ground meat you like! Beef, chicken, turkey, pork…
You'll use about 1/4 of this marinade for the balls, but it can be kept refrigerated for quite a while and used for many other recipes, including on chicken and fish.
You can also use Wondra or flour of your preference to thicken instead of cream cheese.
