Lamb And Sweet Onion Pitas With Orange-Cucumber Salad

Ground lamb is often a bargain buy. Here, it’s put to delicious use in an all-in-one meal of stuffed pita sandwiches and a bright, citrusy salad.

Serves 4

2½ Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, halved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. ground lamb

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large oranges

1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh mint

2 pitas, halved and very lightly toasted

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

Heat 1½ Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add about three-quarters of the onion, ½ tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onion to a small bowl; set aside.

Cook the lamb, cinnamon, ¾ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper in the skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes; drain well.

Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining raw onion and transfer to a large bowl. Cut the peels and pith from the oranges. Working over a bowl to collect the juice, cut the orange segments free from the membranes. Cut the segments into chunks. Add the oranges, orange juice, cucumber, vinegar, mint, and the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the chopped raw onion; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill the pitas with the lamb and cooked onions. Add some of the orange-cucumber salad and a dollop of yogurt. Serve the remaining salad on the side.

 

It is a quote. Fine Cooking Magazine February / March 2011