Turkish Meatballs Yogurt Sauce (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Meatballs
01 -
Pickled red onions (throw these on top if you want)
02 -
Freshly ground black pepper, sprinkle it as much as you like
03 -
Kosher salt, toss in to taste
04 -
0.5 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus a little more to finish
05 -
1 teaspoon Urfa Biber
06 -
1 teaspoon ground coriander
07 -
1 teaspoon ground cumin
08 -
1 egg
09 -
60 g parsley, chopped real fine
10 -
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
11 -
1 big onion, chopped up
12 -
450 g lean ground beef or go half and half with lamb
13 -
1 slice of bread
→ Yogurt Sauce
14 -
Freshly ground black pepper, use to your liking
15 -
Kosher salt, shake in as much as you want
16 -
240 ml chicken broth or veg broth
17 -
240 ml thick Greek yogurt
18 -
1 egg
19 -
2 tablespoons water
20 -
1 tablespoon cornstarch
→ Spicy Olive Oil
21 -
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
22 -
60 ml good olive oil
# Instructions:
01 -
Pile your meatballs in wide bowls. Spoon that warm yogurt sauce over the top, add some pickled onions if you're into it, then pour on a little of that spiced olive oil.
02 -
Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium. Stir in Aleppo pepper flakes and swirl the oil around until it picks up a deep amber color. Take it off the stove.
03 -
Get your broth bubbling in a little pot, then drop the heat to low. Pour in your yogurt mix slow, steady, and whisk while you go. Keep whisking—it'll get thicker in about a minute. Turn off the heat and set aside so it stays warm.
04 -
Mix cornstarch and water in a bowl until it's nice and smooth. Beat in the egg and Greek yogurt, add salt and pepper, and whisk up until it all looks totally blended.
05 -
Slide those meatballs on the middle rack and bake until they’re cooked through and you can’t see any pink inside, about 15 to 20 minutes.
06 -
Tear off a big baking sheet and lay down some parchment. Grab handfuls of the mixture (about 2 tablespoons apiece), roll into balls—should end up with 18 to 20—and set them spaced out on the sheet.
07 -
Toss the bread pieces you soaked into a big bowl. Add the ground beef/lamb, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, cumin, coriander, Urfa Biber, Aleppo pepper, salt, and pepper. Dive in with your hands and mix everything until it just comes together.
08 -
Toast your bread until crisp, soak it in water till super mushy, squeeze out all the water, and rip the bread into small bits.
09 -
Bump your oven up to 220°C, making sure a rack is in the center spot.
# Notes:
01 -
When using extra lean beef, add a tablespoon of olive oil to keep things juicy.
02 -
Use fresh Mediterranean spices for max flavor and that real-deal taste.