Middle-Eastern Nachos indeed!  The meat-eaters (and a couple Sneaky Sams) at our party a few weeks ago all seemed to enjoy this one.  Sausage-shaped meat logs (okay, awesome phrase) are plated atop pita chips, tomato sauce, yogurt, and pinenuts fried in butter.   This worked out really well as party food as you could take as little or as much as you wanted.  The pita just starts to soften when you pour the tomato sauce over it, so you probably wouldn’t want this to sit for too long before serving.  This is similar to the fatta we made last year, but the meat is definitely front-and-center in this one. The recipe is adapted from Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon.

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(I don’t remember who said what [blame it on the sa-sa-sasa-sa-sangria] so here are some random quotes):
Anonymous Party-Goer #1 says:

Oooh, can I have some now? Mmm…. is this lamb?

Chris says:

Mix of lamb and beef… but yeah, good isn’t it?

Anonymous Party-Goer #2 says:

Wow, now that’s a plate of meat.

Anonymous Party-Goer #3 says:

What’s this called? Looks amazing.

Chris says:

Just think of them as Middle Eastern Nachos.

Anonymous Party-Goer #4 says:

You’re still cooking?

Anonymous Party-Goer #5 says:

I love when interesting food is delicious.

Chris says:

Well, those went fast… hope you got some!

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Yogurtlu Kebab (Kofte with Tomato Sauce & Yogurt)

Tomato Sauce:
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chili pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 lbs tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
1-2 tsp sugar

3/4 lb ground beef
3/4 lb ground lamb
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper

toasted pita chips (either store-bought or homemade)
1 tsp sumac and a pinch more
2 cups plain yogurt at room temperature
2 tbsp butter or extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp pine nuts

Make the tomato sauce: Saute the onion in the oil until soft. Add the garlic and chili pepper, and stir for a moment or two. Put in the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper and sugar, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until they soften.

Season the ground beef and lamb with salt and pepper, and work into a soft dough with your hands. Add the onion and the parsley, and work them into the meat. Shape into sausages about 3/4″ thick and 2 3/4″ long. Arrange on a sheet of foil on a baking sheet and cook under a broiler for about 8 minutes, turning over once, until well browned outside but still pink and moist inside.

Spread the pita at the bottom of a large serving dish and sprinkle with a pinch of sumac. Pour the tomato sauce all over, and top with a layer of yogurt. Heat the butter or oil with the pine nuts and stir in the remaining teaspoon of sumac. When the butter sizzles, sprinkle all over the yogurt. Arrange the meat on top.