These Mediterranean Lamb Patties are a great go-to meal- they are fast, easy, and satisfying. Delicious ground lamb flecked with cilantro and spices, moistened with yogurt, they have a terrific texture and flavor, and hold together very well.



The only issue is that the recipe is made with ground lamb, which can be difficult to find at a garden-variety grocery store. I ground my own lamb using the grinding attachment on my Kitchen-Aid mixer. Hopefully you can find ground lamb at a butcher or a fancy store like Whole Foods, if you don't have a meat grinder. If you have a Kitchen-Aid mixer and dream of grinding your own meat, the grinder attachments normally cost around $65, but you can buy a refurbished grinder attachment for $30 here or a new one for about $50 here. Remember, with a grinder of your very own, you can do things like grind up bacon on a whim.




Another alternative, for those who don't like lamb or can't find it, is that the recipe can successfully be made with ground chicken. I can't remember where the original recipe for this came from, but I have changed it a lot over the several times I've made it to punch up the spices and improve the texture. It goes great with couscous (which is also blissfully easy and fast to make) and roasted eggplant.



The sauce is delightful, and also quite simple to make. It's best to make it a bit ahead so the flavors can marry. You can use something other than whole fat yogurt, but beware the sauce will not be as thick. If you happen to be lucky enough to live near a place where they sell Iranian yogurt, it has an incredibly thick, delicious texture and just the right amount of tang for a savory sauce like this.


If you're being fat-conscious, you can substitute nonfat or lowfat yogurt in the lamb patties without much difference, though.


Mediterranean Lamb Patties with Lemon-Mint Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:
for the lamb:

• 2 slices whole wheat bread, torn
• 1/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt
• 1 lb ground lamb
• 2 Tblsp minced cilantro
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp cumin or garam masala
• big pinch cayenne pepper
• canola or vegetable oil for frying

for the sauce:

• 1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
• 2 Tblsp minced cilantro
• 2 Tblsp minced mint
• juice of 1 lemon
• small glove of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper

Method:

• Combine all lamb ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients and mix well. Cover and set aside in refrigerator.
• Heat about 1/4 cup oil over high heat in a large saute pan.
• Form lamb into patties that are about 4 inches in diameter and 1 1/2 inch thickness. Place in hot oil and brown on one side.
• Flip and reduce heat to medium high. Patties should take about 12-15 minutes total cooking time to be done all the way through.
• Remove to platter and serve with sauce on the side.