I’ve got lamb on the brain, and although it might have just recently surfaced with the party and all, my love of lamb goes deeper into my childhood. In my neighborhood, I was surrounded by Greeks. The smell of grassy lamb and rosemary on the grill was familiar, but early on, I only got to taste lamb when I was invited over to a neighbor’s house. And these baked bulgogi lamb meatballs were served to me.
My parents, having not grown up eating lamb, were intimidated by it. Fish roe, tofu curds, and even silk worms didn’t faze them, but lamb chops or anything else related to sheep scared them.
But curiosity got the better of my mom one afternoon when she and I were at home. She stopped at a shish kebab cart and ordered us a lamb kebab. She loved it, and it became a thing with us. Some happy memories were made at that kebab cart, and even though my mom never cooked lamb, she definitely enjoyed eating it. I thought of my mom while noshing on these bulgogi lamb meatballs, thanks to Lisa and Leo.
Flavourful Baked Bulgogi Lamb Meatballs With Feta Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients
- 1 medium Asian pear
1 medium yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
⅓ cup soy sauce
Meatball Ingredients
2 pounds ground lamb (minced lamb)
2 medium egg
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
7 ounces feta cheese
2 tablespoons sesame seeds- 1 can Coca-Cola
1 tablespoon rice vinegar- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
Instructions
- Puree marinade ingredients in a food processor or mixer
- Scoop 1 cup of marinade into a bowl and reserve the rest for the glaze.
- Place the ground lamb in the bowl with the marinade and mix together. Do not overmix.
- Leave ground lamb in the fridge overnight, along with the reserved marinade.
- When you are ready to make meatballs, take out the marinated ground lamb and add 1 cup of Panko and 2 whisked eggs to the mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice up feta into small bite-sized chunks (about 30 pieces).
- Make a golf ball-sized meatball. Make an indentation in the middle with your finger, and place a piece of feta in it. Mold the meatball around the feta so that it is covered.
- Place all the meatballs on a lined or greased baking sheet, and sprinkle sesame seeds on them.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- (Glaze can be made before or if you are a quick cook while the meatballs are in the oven.) Place reserved marinade in a pan and bring to a boil. Add vinegar and 1 can of soda. Bring to a boil again, and let it reduce until syrupy (about 10 minutes).
- Take the pan off the heat and add two tablespoons of sesame oil to the glaze.
- Take meatballs out of the oven after 15 minutes. Spoon or brush on glaze, and return meatballs to the oven for ten more minutes. Serve hot or warm.
