Meatballs with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

Mediterranean ingredients flavour these little meatballs. Yogurt sauce with mint and lemon makes a refreshing accompaniment.

Yogurt Dipping Sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
3 Tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tsp. lemon zest, finely grated
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed
coarse sea salt
pepper, freshly cracked

Meatballs:
½ recipe Ground Meat Mix (about 1¾ lbs)
¾ cup feta cheese, finely crumbled
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped
¼ tsp. crushed red-pepper flakes
extra-virgin olive oil, for hands and baking sheet

Make the dipping sauce: Mix together yogurt, cucumber, mint, lemon zest and juice, and ¾ tsp. salt in a medium bowl; season with pepper.

Make the meatballs: Gently mix together meat, feta, oregano, and red-pepper flakes in a bowl; do not overmix. Form mixture into thirty 1¼" meatballs. (You may need to oil your hands to prevent mixture from sticking.) Slide 5 meatballs onto each of 6 metal skewers.

Preheat broiler, with rack in top third of oven. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil.

Broil skewers on baking sheet until just cooked through and deep golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Serve the meatballs with dipping sauce and pita bread.

Makes 6 servings.