Lamb Meatballs With Tahini Sauce & Red Onion Salad

Directions

1. Make the lamb meatballs: In a large bowl, crush the Ritz crackers with your fingers into coarse pieces, ranging in size from large cornflakes to panko-sized bits. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix with your hands until moistened and incorporated, but still lumpy. Let rest for 5 minutes.
2. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Cook the onion, garlic, black pepper, coriander, and cumin, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until tender, translucent, and fragrant. Scrape into the bowl with the Ritz cracker mixture.
3. To the Ritz cracker mixture, add the lamb, parsley, egg, turmeric, red chile powder, salt, and cinnamon. Using your hands, knead for 3 to 5 minutes, until well combined, slightly sticky, and springy. (Alternatively, mix the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 1 minute, until well combined and springy.) Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for ideally 24 hours (if you’re in a rush, you can shorten that to 3 hours; if you want to plan ahead, you can refrigerate for up to 3 days).
4. Heat a grill to medium or a broiler to high with a rack 6 inches from the heat source. Portion the lamb mixture with a #16 disher or a 1/4-cup measure (you should get about 14). Wet your hands, then roll the portions between your palms to form smooth balls. Rub or brush the meatballs all over with the oil.
5. Grill or broil the meatballs, carefully flipping once with a spoon or offset spatula halfway through, for 16 to 18 minutes, until browned on all sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a meatball registers at least 155°F (it’s okay if they are cooked to a higher temperature), or no longer look pink in the center when split in half. Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes before serving.
6. Make the tahini sauce: While the meatballs rest, prepare the tahini sauce and red onion salad: In a medium bowl, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, oil, and salt until well combined. Whisk in 4 to 5 tablespoons of ice water until the consistency is smooth and as thick as pancake batter. Taste and add more salt if needed.
7. Make the red onion and parsley salad: In another medium bowl, massage the onion, parsley, lemon juice, sumac, and salt with your hands until the onions have wilted. Taste and add more salt if needed.
8. Prepare the fixings and assemble everything together: Serve the meatballs on a platter alongside the tahini sauce, red onion salad, chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, warm pitas, and hot sauce.