Crispy Grilled Lamb Pitas with Radish-Watercress Salad

Category: Dinner Ideas

The robust, fatty lamb here needs a fresh, zippy counterpoint, so it's served with a salad featuring three types of radishes: watermelon radishes for their gorgeous magenta hue, green daikon for softer color but more pungent bite, and cherry radishes for their crisp, juicy texture. This trio gets tangled in a pile of also-peppery watercress and dressed with the simplest combo of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

ingredients

SAUCE

  • 1/4 cup tahini

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 small garlic clove, grated

PITAS

  • 1 pound ground lamb

  • 1/2 cup minced yellow onion 

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

  • 2 tablespoons za’atar

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 2 large garlic cloves, grated

  • 4 soft white pitas, each split into 2 rounds

  • Salad

  • 5 cups trimmed watercress

  • 1 1/2 cups very thinly sliced radishes (such as watermelon, daikon, or cherry)

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

demo

Direction

  1. Prepare an outdoor grill (preferably charcoal) to medium-high heat.

    Make the sauce

  2. Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Make the pitas

  1. Combine lamb, onion, parsley, mint, za’atar, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl. Mix well with your hands to combine. Spread one-fourth of lamb mixture in a thin layer over inside surface of one pita half (hands work best for this; spread all the way to the edge). Top lamb with secondvpita half. Repeat process with remaining lamb mixture and remaining 3 pitas.

  2. Arrange filled pitas on oiled grill grate. Cover and grill until pitas are toasted and meat is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes, turning once halfway through cook time. Cut into wedges.

Make the salad

  1. Combine watercress and radishes in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Serve salad with pitas and sauce.