Recipe: Lamb Kefteh Sandwiches

Recipe Source: Jamison, Cheryl and Bill.  Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue.  The Harvard Common Press, Boston, 2003 p. 152

Ah, Sunday morning.  We have a pretty set ritual on Sunday mornings.  While we by no means observe this each and every Sunday, it happens often enough that it can be called regular.  I wake up.  I decide, based on whatever outdated information I have as to my husband's travel schedule, what I will cook during the upcoming week.  I make my grocery list.  As soon as my husband opens his eyes, I pounce and demand to know what he wants for dinner that night.  Please note that he very often hasn't actually left the bed by this point, much less had any coffee.  On most of these occasions I would be surprised to find out that he had any idea that it was Sunday at all.  Nevertheless, I persist in demanding an answer.  On a recent Sunday, however, he surprised me by wandering into the library, grabbing a cookbook, opening it to a recipe and saying, "I want that." 

I was thrilled.  Surprised, yes, but thrilled.  When I looked at the recipe, it was obvious that he had not simply pointed to a random recipe in the hopes of getting another ten minutes' repose.  It looked good, and the timing and temperature matched very well with a side dish that would also require the use of our smoker.  I read the recipe, which was originally called "Ground Lamb Pita Pockets."  "That's pretty much just kefteh," I said, and he agreed. 

At any rate, this was the Sunday dinner recipe for that particular Sunday, and I was very pleased indeed with how it came out.  We didn't make a whole lot of changes.  We did halve the recipe, since the original was intended to serve six.  Now, we managed to get six kefteh out of what we had, so I hate to think of the portion sizes in the original!  We left the portions of the dry rub and the sauce the same, though.  We knew that we would use the rub again at some point, and the sauce was healthy and called for cucumbers, which my husband adores.  I did have some zaatar on hand, but it was kind of elderly and for some reason the manufacturers didn't add any sumac to theirs.  For the dry rub I used the appropriate portion of zaatar and added 1/2 teaspoon sumac; for the sauce, I just used zaatar.  I decided that despite what the recipe said, cayenne was not optional.

Before I get to the recipe, I want to point out we did serve these with fresh pita bread made by my husband.  You don't have to make your own pita, but if you do use store-bought you should be aware that this is a very moist dish.  Commercially-prepared pita tends to be very thin and it may become soggy from the meat juices and the sauce.  If you use commercial pita, lightly toasting it before serving might alleviate some of this. 

Lamb Kefteh Sandwiches (serves 3, approx. $4.25/serving)

Dry Rub:

2 tablespoons paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons zaatar

1/2 teaspoon sumac

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Sauce:

1 large English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons

3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt

3 tablespoons minced cilantro

Around 1/8 teaspoon sumac (2 generous pinches)

Dash cayenne

Kosher salt to taste

1 1/4 lb ground lamb

2 tablespoons minced jarred garlic

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

6 pita breads

2 oz feta, crumbled

Equipment:

• Smoker or grill with a smoker box

1. Prepare the rub: mix all of the rub ingredients together in a reasonably air-tight container.  I used a clean Chinese take-out soup bowl. 
2. Prepare the smoker for barbeque, bringing the temperature to between 200 and 220 degrees. 
3. Prepare the kefteh by mixing the lamb, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl with your hands. 
4. Roll the mixture into six vaguely oblong patties. 
5. Sprinkle with the rub on both sides and let stand at room temperature for 20 - 30 minutes. 
6. Transfer the kefteh to the smoker and cook for about 40 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients together in their serving bowl.
8. When the kefteh are done, serve them on a platter alongside the pita, sauce and crumbled feta.  Allow diners to prepare their own sandwich, using the sauce and feta to their own tastes. 

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