09/23/2011 
So I set out one fine dinner time to make my usual Lamb-Feta Meatballs. Hmm…feta’s gone bad…no mint…what’s a lady to do for her hungry family with ground lamb?
Undeterred, I made meatballs with what I had on hand. And they were very good.
And the cool thing? These are dairy-free for all you diary-free people who avoid dairy. I was also super-lazy and decided I didn’t want to put them in the oven, so I cooked them on the stovetop. What I learned: they lose their delicious browned crusts when you put a lid on the skillet to cook them through. So if you’re really aiming for that flavor, I’ll provide alternate directions below.
Lamb Meatballs w/ Pine Nuts
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 lbs. ground lamb
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
3 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. salt
1) Preheat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts, shaking pan and stirring until they are golden. DO NOT LEAVE THEM UNATTENDED. They burn quite quickly. Remove them from pan onto a plate to cool.
2) Meanwhile, add lamb and rest of ingredients (including cooled pine nuts) to a large bowl. Mix together thoroughly with clean hands.
3) Scoop out meat to make 1- to 1 1/2-inch meatballs, pressing them tightly in your hands. Add to skillet as ready and cook over medium-high heat. If placing in oven, cook on each side for about 3 minutes, or until a nice brown, then place on a baking sheet and bake in a 375°F oven for 15 minutes. If cooking stovetop, flip after first side is browned, then place a lid on the pan. Cook for another 5-6 minutes, or until cooked through.
Serves 4.
NOTES: Salad shown on plate is just ribboned romaine, kalamata olives, and tomatoes with a red wine vinaigrette. Recipe for vinaigrette can be found if you follow the link above to Lamb-Feta Meatballs.
I adore lamb meatballs! So much nicer then beef meatballs – the flavour is better, obviously, as is the texture. I think they are much more succulent. Unfortunately lamb mince is also more expensive.
This combo of lamb and pine nuts sounds fab! I’ll have to try them out. I love pine nuts, but I always seem to forget about using them unless I’m doing pesto. These seems like a great use.
Ate this and it was awesome too.