Middle Eastern Bison Meatballs with Cilantro-Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 0.5 cup bread fresh french crustless
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon coriander seeds 
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
• 1 large eggs beaten to blend
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 
• 0.3 cup cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 2 tablespoons mint leaves fresh chopped
• 1 teaspoon sage fresh chopped
• 6  garlic clove minced
• 3  spring onion chopped
• 0.3 teaspoon ground allspice 
• 1.3 pounds frangelico (often labeled buffalo)
• 2 tablespoons jalapeno minced seeded ( 1 large)
• 1 tablespoon juice of lemon fresh
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 cup onion finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons greek yogurt greek-style
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 1 tablespoon milk whole

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• sieve
• blender
• cheesecloth

Directions

1. Toast all seeds in small skillet over medium heat until aromatic and slightly darker in color, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Cool. Finely grind seeds in spice mill or coffee grinder.
2. Place cilantro and all remaining ingredients in blender.
3. Add 1 teaspoon ground seeds and process until smooth sauce forms, scraping down sides frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover sauce and chill. Reserve remaining ground seeds for meatballs. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Store remaining ground seeds in airtight container at room temperature.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy small skillet over medium heat.
5. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes (do not brown). Cool. Toss breadcrumbs with milk in small bowl to moisten.
6. Place cooled onion mixture, breadcrumb mixture, reserved ground seeds from cilantro-yogurt sauce, jalapeño, and yogurt in processor. Using on/off turns, process until coarse puree forms.
7. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.
8. Add bison, egg, cilantro, sage, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, pepper, and allspice. Using hands or fork, mix until just blended. Using damp hands, form bison mixture into 1 1/4-inch balls. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
9. Preheat oven to 300°F.
10. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, cook meatballs until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch.
11. Transfer meatballs to rimmed baking sheet.
12. Place in oven to keep warm up to 15 minutes.
13. Serve meatballs with cilantro-yogurt sauce for dipping.
14. *A thick yogurt; sold at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores (such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods), and Greek markets. If unavailable, place plain whole-milk yogurt in cheesecloth-lined strainer set over large bowl. Cover and chill 4 hours to drain.
15. Nutrition Data
16. See Nutrition Data's complete analysis of this recipe ›