Meatballs Libanaise

(Not even a far distant cousin of Mayonnaise.) Found on a blog somewhere out there in Blogland but I forgot to bookmark it. Always a double take with cardamom whether it be a sweet, or in this case, savory dish: (Cardamom, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways! ...to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach...!) The meatballs can be prepared with all beef or all lamb if you wish, however, a combination of the two meats is preferred. A couple of changes were made to the recipe.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Yields: 18 meatballs

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb ground beef
• 1⁄2 lb ground lamb
• 1⁄2 yellow onion, finely minced
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1  garlic clove, peeled and finely minced
• 1⁄2 cup  finely ground  breadcrumbs
• 1  egg, lightly whisked
•  salt (I use about one half teaspoon)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients and refrigerate until chilled. (Chilling the meat makes it much easier to form into meatballs.).
3. Shape into 18 meatballs and arrange on a parchment lined (not foiled lined or the meatballs will stick-trust me!).
4. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until browned and no longer pink inside.
5. Serve with your favorite yogurt dip.