Lamb Meatballs with Orzo, Tomatoes, and Feta
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 13, 2021
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt ¼ cup panko bread crumbs 3 tablespoons water 1 large egg 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint, plus 2 tablespoons torn leaves4 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon driedSalt and pepper ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1½ pounds ground lamb 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped fine2 cups orzo 3 cups chicken broth ½ cup dry white wine 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
Before You Begin
Depending on the size of your Dutch oven, you may need to brown the meatballs in two batches rather than one.
Instructions
- Mash yogurt, panko, and water together with fork in large bowl to form paste. Stir in egg, minced mint, half of garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and cinnamon until combined. Add ground lamb and knead with your hands until thoroughly combined. Pinch off and roll mixture into eighteen 1½-inch meatballs.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown meatballs on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot.
- Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has been absorbed and orzo is almost tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and nestle meatballs into orzo. Cover and cook until orzo is tender and meatballs are fully cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with tomatoes, feta, and torn mint. Serve.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons water
1 large egg
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint, plus 2 tablespoons torn leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ pounds ground lamb
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cups orzo
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
Ingredients
½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons water
1 large egg
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint, plus 2 tablespoons torn leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ pounds ground lamb
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cups orzo
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
Ingredients
½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons water
1 large egg
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint, plus 2 tablespoons torn leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ pounds ground lamb
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cups orzo
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
Why This Recipe Works
A panade—a simple paste made from Greek yogurt and panko—kept the meatballs moist and lent the dish welcome tangy flavor. We used our Dutch oven to deeply brown the meatballs and create lots of flavorful fond in the pot. Using some of the rendered fat to cook our aromatics gave our orzo pilaf a supersavory base. After toasting the orzo to golden brown, we added a combination of white wine and chicken broth and cooked the orzo until it was nearly tender. We were then able to simply nestle our seared meatballs back into the pot to cook them through. We finished the dish with a bright topping of cherry tomatoes, more fresh mint, and feta, which cut through the richness for a highly satisfying one-pot meal.
Before You Begin
Depending on the size of your Dutch oven, you may need to brown the meatballs in two batches rather than one.
Instructions
- Mash yogurt, panko, and water together with fork in large bowl to form paste. Stir in egg, minced mint, half of garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and cinnamon until combined. Add ground lamb and knead with your hands until thoroughly combined. Pinch off and roll mixture into eighteen 1½-inch meatballs.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown meatballs on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot.
- Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add orzo and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in broth and wine, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has been absorbed and orzo is almost tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and nestle meatballs into orzo. Cover and cook until orzo is tender and meatballs are fully cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with tomatoes, feta, and torn mint. Serve.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments