Kofta bil Tahini — Jordanian Baked Meatballs with Tahini Sauce

Grate the onion and squeeze out its liquid; otherwise, the liquid will make the ground meat loose and it may fall apart in the oven. Mix the ground meat with the onion, finely chopped parsley, seven-spice blend, salt, and black pepper for 5 minutes, until paste-like. Cover and refrigerate.

Spread the ground meat in an even 1.5 cm-thick layer in a greased, wide baking dish, using a wet hand. Score it into squares with a knife; the cuts separate the portions as they cook and let the sauce seep between them.

Peel the potatoes and slice them into 5 mm rounds. Toss them with olive oil, spread them in a single layer on a separate baking sheet, and bake at 200°C / 390°F until the edges begin to brown. Potatoes that are not par-baked will not soften in time with the meat and will remain raw on the plate.

Put the ground meat in a 200°C / 390°F oven and bake until it releases its liquid and the surface browns. Spoon off any liquid that collects in the dish; if it remains, it will thin the tahini sauce and keep it from thickening.

Crush the garlic with the salt in a mortar and mix it with the tahini. Add the lemon juice; the mixture will stiffen and clump at first. Gradually whisk in the water until the sauce is as thin as milk. It should be thin because it will reduce by one-third in the oven.

Arrange the par-baked potatoes and sliced tomatoes over the meat, then pour the tahini sauce evenly over everything. Bake at 200°C / 390°F until the sauce thickens and browned spots appear on the surface. Remove it from the oven if the sauce starts to bubble and crack.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet until golden and sprinkle them over the dish with the chopped parsley. If using ground turkey instead of red meat, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat; do not serve it until it reaches 74°C / 165°F. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then cut along the scored lines and serve; portions may fall apart if served hot.