Kefta

kefta 4

Spicy Mediterranean meatballs

Kefta may be made with ground beef or ground lamb, or a mixture of the two. I usually use beef because it is more readily available in Paris than ground lamb, but the mixture is fabulous, so if you can find the lamb, I suggest you add it.

The kefta are great on their own, or you may serve them drizzled with tahini sauce, as shown above.

1/2 pound (220 g.) lean ground beef or lamb, or a mixture
1 shallot, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, dill or a mixture
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat the oven to gas mark 8 (230 C, 450 F).

Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a bowl. Using your hands, blend the ingredients together until they are well mixed.

Shape the meat into little balls about 3/4 inch (2 cm) in diameter.

kefta 1Or, if you prefer, you can make small sausage shapes. Take enough meat to fit easily into the palm of your hand and form it into an oblong about 2 inches (5 cm) long.

Coat the bottom of a baking pan with about half the olive oil. Use the rest to coat the meatballs as you place them in the pan. This will seal in the juices.

When the oven is very hot, roast the meatballs for 5-10 minutes, depending on how rare you like your meat.

Serve the kefta with an assortment of salads or summer vegetables. Serves 2.

One Response to Kefta

  1. Ann says:

    Yum! I won’t be waiting until Tuesday dinner to make these delicious-sounding meatballs!

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