Mediterranean meatballs with green tahini recipe | The Ethical Butcher

This series of recipes was produced for us by chef Nick Sandler and shows how to cook simple dishes outside in a pizza-style wood-fired oven.

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Mediterranean meatballs with green tahini

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the meatballs

1kg minced brisket, or any other minced beef
Half a bunch of flat-leaf parsley (approx 20g) washed and roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon of Maldon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 a teaspoon of chilli flakes
2 Portobello mushrooms, cut into hefty chunks
2 Romano peppers, deseeded and cut into sections
1 red onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
A couple of sprigs of rosemary
Olive oil

For the tahini dressing

2 heaped tablespoons tahini
Juice of half a lemon
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 a teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 a teaspoon of salt
A scrunched up handful of each of the following – coriander, mint and parsley –chopped
3 tablespoons water

For best results cook in a Delivita or other wood-fired oven using Love Logs carbon-neutral wood. Otherwise a domestic fan oven can be used.

Method:

Make sure your oven is nice and hot. If you are roasting this recipe in the kitchen, 220-240ºC is good. If you are firing up the brick oven go as hot as you like, but keep an eye on the roast as the flames lick up the bricks to avoid complete incineration!

In a large bowl mix the mince, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, tomato puree, onion, Maldon Sea Salt, black pepper and chilli flakes.

Mix together thoroughly with your hands and roll into big firm balls.

Place in a baking dish with the mushrooms, Romano peppers, chunky red onion, rosemary and olive oil

Season with salt, pepper and a generous glug of olive oil. Chuck it in the oven and while it is cooking for about 15-18 mins, make the tahini dressing.

In a small bowl whisk together the tahini, lemon, garlic, cumin, salt, herbs and water.

The dressing should be thick but pourable, so if it is too gloopy add a touch more water.

Serve the meatballs with a double dollop of tahini dressing