Lamb Meatballs and Collard Dolmades
- Total Time
- About 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¼cup medium-grind bulgur
- 1pound ground lamb
- 1small onion, chopped
- 2cloves garlic, minced
- 1tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼cup chopped fresh mint
- Salt
- ground black pepper
- 2tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
- 16 to 20untorn collard leaves
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
481 calories; 35 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 744 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Soak bulgur in hot water to cover until tender, 15 to 30 minutes. Drain bulgur, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Combine bulgur with lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, mint, salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch meatballs, handling mixture as little as possible.
- Step 2
Put olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat; when hot, add meatballs and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Serve immediately or cool and proceed with recipe.
- Step 3
Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Trim stem ends of collard leaves and discard. Put half the leaves in the boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they are just pliable. Use a slotted spoon to remove leaves from water and transfer to a colander; run leaves under cool water; drain and gently squeeze to remove most of the excess water, leaving them just damp enough so they will stick together when rolled. Repeat with other leaves.
- Step 4
Cut leaves in half by running a sharp knife along each side of stem, removing stem in process; trim top and bottom, making a large, rectangular-shaped leaf. Lay one leaf down with widest part facing you. Put a meatball in middle of leaf, bring two sides of leaves together and roll like a burrito to seal it. Put each stuffed leaf, seam side down, on a serving plate. Repeat, cooking and stuffing remaining leaves. Serve with lemon wedges.
Private Notes
Comments
The meatballs have good flavor. I would recommend mincing the onion rather than chopping; that's what I'll do the next time I cook this recipe.
I made a different Mark Bittman (who is great!) bulgur meatball recipe last night, and I learned the hard way that you really want to drain and dry the bulgur *well* (end of Step 1) -- press it out WELL, maybe let it dry in a colander for awhile or lay on a towel or something -- or the balls will be too wet (stick to pan and have trouble holding their shape). I might also have squeezed some of the excess liquid out of the ground meat, as well.
Loved this! Made it ahead of time and warmed very gently in the oven to serve. The seasonings were delicious as is, but for a little more punch I salted the meatballs a little just as they finished cooking. Next time I may try shaping the meatballs a little differently (more oblong) to make them easier to roll in the leaves. I also am going to try this with the beautiful chard leaves I got in my CSA box.
A wonderful dish, hot or cold. And the collard greens as wraps were a revelation—delicious and nutritious! Also DO use the tablespoon of cumin. And mince the onion and mint as small as possible. Five stars!