Ingredients

500g of minced beef or lamb (or a combination of both); 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped; 1/4 cup of fresh parsley; 1/4 cup of fresh mint; 1/4 cup of fresh dill; 1 tsp of cumin; 1 tsp of coriander; 1 tsp of paprika; 1/2 tsp of black pepper; 1/2 tsp of cinnamon; 1/4 tsp of allspice; 1/4 tsp of cloves; 4 tbsp of olive oil; salt as preffered.

Preparation and Cooking

• Place the minced meat in a sufficiently large bowl, and add finely chopped onion, parsley, mint and dill, and cumin, coriander, paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and salt. Then mix well all of the ingredients until evenly combined.
• Shape the meat mixture into small, flat, oval disc-like patties (as a typical shape), approximately 5cm length and 1cm thick.
• In the wood fired oven, the Ürgüp Meatballs can be cooked either by pan-frying or baking for about 10 min at around 180-200^oC until they are golden brown. This requires a large pan to place the meatballs after brushing both sides lightly with olive oil. Note that if the conduction heat from the bottom and the radiated heat from the top is sufficient there is no need to flip the meatballs.
• Serve the Ürgüp Meatballs hot, and as a common tradition it is preferred with a side of rice, bulgur pilaf, orTurkish flatbread. Yogurt, a fresh salad, and grilled vegetables can also accompany these side dishes.

Hints and Comments

• Ürgüp Meatballs originates from Ürgüp, a town in the Cappadocia region of Türkiye.