If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know that we’re fans of lots of herbs, lemon zest, and Mediterranean spices to help weeknight meals feel special. These “porcupine meatballs” or “rice keftah” are riffed from Ottolenghi’s new cookbook, Ottolenghi’s Test Kitchen. We simplified a few of the steps, removed half of the rice because…well, it was too much, left out the harder to find ingredients, and came up with a version that seems do-able for a weeknight or a chilly Sunday.

This calls for beef, but you could sub in lamb or even chicken in its place.

I served this with sauteed greens and crispy shallots. This is an additional step but made for a lovely spread. Some pita, a good dip, feta over top, all make it a delicious meal!