Somewhere where the Middle Atlas meets the Sahara in Morocco, I discovered kefta, a lamb meatball. The restaurant was a porch across from the bus station. The sheep heads for the recent cull were hanging from wall. Each had several trails of clotted blood streaming from them. The kefta was served in a large bowl. There must have been 50. I had hired a driver and we split the meal. It was authentic Morocco. I loved it.
I finally found a recipe that takes me back to that dusty roadside at the start of Berber country. This is excellent with ground lamb, beef or pork. My take is more of a burger than a meatball. Have some fun with this:
Moroccan “Kefta” Lamb Burgers
1.5-2 lbs ground lamb
1/2 onion, finely chopped or grated
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon thyme
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons paprika
sea salt and black pepper to taste
Chop or grate onion. Mix cumin, coriander, cinnamon and paprika with mortar and pestle. In a large bowl, add onion, spices and oregano and thyme. Add ground lamb. mix thoroughly with hands for an even consistency. Shape into tennis ball sized balls and place on cooking tray. Flatten balls with spatula. Cook burgers. Enjoy.
I prefer to grill these over charcoal and garnish with roasted peppers and goat cheese. Any way or size, they are delicious.
This recipe was inspired from a recommended and very well done Moroccan cookbook by Ghillie Basan (link below). If you have a tagine or what to get one, it is worth checking out.