Ground lamb is familiar, because it resembles ground beef and pork sausage. But lamb brings a distinctive flavor that is accentuated by a diverse array of herbs and spices. In Hunan, Sichuan, and Xinjiang cooking, lamb is paired with cumin. We've drawn on inspiration from these three cooking traditions to develop our lamb meatballs complete with cumin, sichuan pepper and peanut sauce. These meatballs can be served with noodles or rice and vegetables for a complete meal.

Ingredients for Meatballs:

• 2 pounds ground lamb
• 2 Tbs chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbs cumin
• ½ tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground Szechuan pepper, optional
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 2 Tbs coconut cream
• 1 Tbs soy sauce

Ingredients for Sauce:

• ½ cup peanut butter
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 Tbs sesame oil
• 2 Tbs rice vinegar
• 2 Tbs honey
• ½ tsp fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• ¼ cup warm water
• chili paste or sriracha sauce, to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Mix: lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, red chili flakes, cloves, cardamom, Szechuan pepper (if available), salt, coconut cream, and soy sauce.
• Form meatballs, approximately 1 ½ -inch diameter, and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, turning once.
• For sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. I suggest starting with 1 tsp chili paste or sriracha sauce and increasing to your taste. Process until smooth, adding water as necessary.
• Serve meatballs on rice or lettuce if desired. Drizzle with peanut sauce.