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Spicy Meatballs with Yogurt-Cucumber Dip

Source of Recipe

From "Gourmet Game Night" by Cynthia Nims


List of Ingredients

Yogurt-Cucumber Dip:
â—¦ ½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 1 cup)
â—¦ ½ teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
â—¦ ¾ cup plain whole-milk yogurt

Meatballs:
â—¦ 1 pound lean ground beef
â—¦ ½ pound lean ground pork
â—¦ ½ cup finely minced onion
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
â—¦ 1 tablespoon Sriracha or other hot sauce, plus more to taste
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
â—¦ Salt
â—¦ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil


Recipe

To make the dip, toss the cucumber with ½ teaspoon of the salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse, drain well, and pat dry with paper towels. Combine the cucumber and yogurt in a food processor and purée until nearly smooth. Transfer to a medium serving bowl and taste for seasoning, adding more salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

To make the meatballs, combine the ground beef, ground pork, onion, garlic, Sriracha, thyme, and a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix with your hands until thoroughly blended. Cook up about 1 teaspoon of the mixture in a small skillet with a bit of oil and taste for seasoning. Add more hot sauce or salt to taste. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls.

Preheat the oven to 250° F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half of the meatballs and cook until lightly browned on all sides and no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes, turning often to cook evenly. (The meatballs should not crowd the skillet. Cook in three batches if needed.) Set aside on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Keep the meatballs warm in the oven until you are ready to serve (up to 30 minutes).

Skewer one meatball each on small picks or decorative toothpicks and arrange them on a platter for serving; set on a warming tray to keep warm, if you wish. Pour the dip into individual bowls or dishes and set them alongside.

Makes about 36 meatballs with dip