Lamb Kebabs in Mini-pitas

Lamb Kebabs (makes 50 mini kebabs)

1 lb ground lamb (not lean)
½ lb ground beef (chuck)
2 slices hearty white bread
½ cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
¼ cup mint, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Ras el Hanout*
1 ½ tsp. Aleppo Chile powder**

Sauté onion in olive oil over low heat until softened but not browned at all (10 mins). Soak slices of bread in water for 10 minutes. Remove from water and squeeze out as much water as possible. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Make a small patty the size of a quarter and quickly cook it in a hot pan. Taste for salt and other seasonings – adjust if necessary. Roll into small egg-shaped balls and flatten slightly with the palms of your hands. Each one should weigh about 20 grams. Broil in a very hot preheated oven about 6 inches from flame. They should cook in about 5-7 minutes. Turn the broiling tray every few minutes for more even browning. Remove when golden brown on top. They do not need to be flipped as the hot broiler tray should brown the undersides. (Traditionally these should be formed on skewers and grilled over hot charcoal.)

*Ras el Hanout is a spice mixture that is popular in North African cuisine. It means “top of the shop” in Arabic, and refers to the unique blend of spices that each merchant prepares. This is the blend that I used:

1 ½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cardamom
¾ tsp ground allspice
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground mace
¼ tsp saffron threads
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

** Aleppo pepper is a relatively mild, coarsely ground dried red pepper from Northern Syria. It is available at the Spice House in Chicago or online. It may be similar to the Maras pepper from Turkey.

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cucumber, diced
3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp mint, finely chopped
½ tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together in bowl.

Serve each kebab in a warmed mini-pita with tzatziki sauce.