Sous Vide Turkish Lamb Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce

Lamb takes well to bold, fragrant flavors, like the warm spice and zippy garlic in these Turkish-style meatballs. The Anova Precision Cooker ensures tender, moist results — no need to worry about over mixing the ingredients. Instead of using traditional rice or bulgur in the mix, I’ve substituted pine nuts for a rich and nutty touch. The pine nuts also keep the meatballs gluten-free. (You’ll need to skip the pita bread for an entirely gluten-free dish.) On the side is a simple tzatziki sauce made with yogurt, cucumber, mint, and lemon.

Author

Kate Itrich-Williams

Prep Time: 00:30

Recipe Time: 02:00

Temperature : 134F / 56.7C

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup whole milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber (about 1 small)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pita bread, for serving

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 134ºF (56.7ºC).
2. Combine lamb, parsley, onion, pine nuts, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, coriander, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Using your hands, mix until well combined.
3. Roll lamb mixture into 20 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Carefully divide meatballs between two zipper lock or vacuum seal bags. Carefully seal the bags using the water immersion technique. Be careful not to smash the meatballs.
4. Place the meatballs in the water bath and set the timer for 2 hours.
5. While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the tzatziki sauce: Combine the yogurt, cucumber, mint, lemon juice, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the meatballs from the bag. If you'd like to brown the meatballs, transfer them to a foil-lined broiler-safe baking sheet. Heat broiler to high.
2. Broil the meatballs for 3 to 5 minutes, if desired. Transfer meatballs to a serving platter. Serve the meatballs with tzatziki sauce and pita bread.