Turkish Lamb Meatballs with Onions and Red Pepper and Yogurt Sauce

(Original recipe calls for onions cooked separately from red pepper muhammara.)

Meatballs

• 2lb ground lamb
  
• 1/2 cup minced fresh mint
  
• 1/4 cup grated onion
  
• 4 minced garlic cloves
  
• 3 Tbsp paprika
  
• 1 Tbsp cumin
  
• 1/2 Tbsp salt
  
• 1 tsp pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  

Vegetables

• 1 red onion, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2"
  
• 1 red pepper
  
• 2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
  
• 1/2 cup water
  
• chopped parsley
  

Yogurt sauce

• 1 cup plain yogurt
  
• 2 Tbsp tahini
  
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  

Other

• Middle Eastern flatbreads
  

Preparation

1. Turn off your smoke alarms
   
2. preheat over to 300°
   
3. Blacken red pepper on all sides over open burner, then place in paper bag.
   
4. Mix together yogurt ingredients; chill
   
5. Mix together meatball ingredients
   
6. With wet hands, form 1.5" meatballs; arrange on baking sheet
   
7. Saute meatballs in olive oil in large flat pan, turning with spoon until cooked through, ~8m; reserve juices in pan
   
8. Transfer meatballs back to baking sheet; place in oven along with flatbread
   
9. Add dash of olive oil to pan and start cooking onions
   
10. Peel and discard burnt matter from red pepper under running water
    
11. Core and slice pepper, then add to onions.
    
12. Add pomegranate and water, reducing sauce
    
13. Mix in parsley and season with salt and pepper
    
14. Remove meatballs from oven after 15-20m
    

Arrange onions/peppers, meatballs, and yogurt sauce on flatbreads