Lamb Meatballs with Farro Salad & Tzatziki

Ingredients

For the Lamb Meatballs

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1 head roasted garlic (cloves mashed into a paste)
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for searing)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp Aleppo pepper
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

For the Farro Salad

• 1 cup pearled farro, cooked according to package instructions and cooled to room temp
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 English cucumber, finely diced
• ½ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Tzatziki & Garnish

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ English cucumber, grated and squeezed dry in a paper towel
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Finely chopped parsley, for garnish
• Urfa Biber or sumac, for dusting

Directions

Mix and Sear the Lamb Meatballs

1. Combine ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the ground lamb, mashed roasted garlic, parsley, egg, panko, cumin, coriander, paprika, Aleppo pepper, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands just until combined (do not overwork the meat).

2. Shape: Roll the mixture into uniform, tight meatballs (roughly the size of golf balls, matching the three large pieces in the photo).

3. Cook: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and sear, turning occasionally, for 10–12 minutes until deeply browned on all sides and cooked through.

Toss the Farro Salad

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled farro, chickpeas, diced cucumber, chopped Castelvetrano olives, and chopped parsley.

2. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Toss thoroughly to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep at room temperature.

Make the Tzatziki

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, squeezed grated cucumber, grated garlic, and lemon juice. Season with a pinch of salt.

Plate

1. The Yogurt Bed: Spoon a generous dollop of tzatziki onto one side of the plate and use the back of the spoon to swipe it into a crescent shape.

2. Add Meatballs: Nestling them closely together, place three hot lamb meatballs directly on top of the tzatziki bed.

3. Mound the Salad: Scoop a generous portion of the room-temperature farro salad onto the other half of the plate.

4. Garnish with finely chopped parsley and Urfa Biber or sumac.