SEARED MEATBALLS & OREGANO OIL
GF LAMB MEATBALLS WITH BIB LETTUCE, MINT & TZATZIKI
GF LAMB MEATBALLS WITH BIB LETTUCE, MINT & TZATZIKI
How I know I’ve really done it: my husband and I eat in silence, routinely nodding while glancing up at each other every few bites, and the first word spoken after several minutes of this is “wow.” I can’t wait to make this a thousand more times—I wanted to make this recipe with gluten-free panko (specifically) so I have a really solid go-to dish for my GF friends, and this is definitely that. Whenever I’m making something like meatballs which take a good bit of attention and time standing at the stove, I like to balance that out by going with a store-bought element, in this case: tzatziki. You can 100% make some from scratch if that speaks to you, but to keep things simple, grab it at the store.
Ingredients:
For the meatballs
2 eggs
1 lb ground lamb
1 cup gluten-free panko flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Avocado, grapeseed or another high heat oil oil for the skillet
For the sumac-oregano oil
5 Tbsp. olive or avocado oil
1/4 tsp sumac
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, torn
For serving
Head of bib/butter lettuce, leaves separated
Handful of fresh mint leaves, torn
Tzatziki
The sumac-oregano oil
Directions:
Make the meatballs by adding all of the following to a large bowl: 2 eggs, 1 lb ground lamb, 1 cup gluten-free panko flakes, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and fold with a fork until combined.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp avocado oil. Once thoroughly heated, 5-7 minutes, use a cookie scoop to make 1.5” meatballs and place them around the pan (with plenty of space so they can brown properly: I ended up with 6 per batch.) Sear for 3-4 minutes per side—about 12 minutes total, until an instant-read thermometer says the middle is at least 155°F. Remove to a serving bowl or plate and continue until all meatballs are done (it took me around 40 mins to do 4 batches).
Make the sumac oil: meanwhile, add 5 Tbsp olive oil to a nonstick skillet with 1/4 tsp sumac and 1/4 tsp kosher salt over medium heat. Stir around the pan occasionally for 10 minutes, then add 3 Tbsp of torn oregano leaves. Stir and let the oregano sizzle in the pan for 5 minutes to infuse and crisp up, then remove from heat and set aside.
To serve: add the sumac oil and tzatziki to small bowls with little spoons, add the butter lettuce to a serving platter or shallow bowl, and scatter with lots of fresh mint. Serve the meatballs alongside, then create the perfect bite: add a dollop of tzatziki to the lettuce with the mint, add a meatball or two on top, then drizzle with a spoonful of the sumac-oregano oil. Enjoy :)