Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled

Ground lamb broiled to a light char is a staple of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, formed into kofta, kebabs, or burger patties and seasoned with cumin, mint, garlic, or sumac. Its higher fat content compared to lean ground beef keeps it moist under the broiler's dry heat, and the meat carries a more mineral, slightly gamey flavor that pairs well with yogurt sauces, pickled vegetables, and flatbread. It also works browned into ragus, stuffed into peppers, or folded into pilafs, where the fat renders out and seasons the surrounding rice or vegetables. Because ground lamb can vary in fat trim from batch to batch, cooks often broil a small test patty first to check how much fat will render before shaping the rest.

A 3 oz broiled portion (85 g) runs 283 calories with 24.8 g protein per 100 g, covering half the daily value for protein, plus 10% for iron, common for red meat. Fiber, sugar, and carbs are all effectively zero, so ground lamb functions purely as the protein and fat anchor of a plate, meant to be built out with vegetables, grains, or legumes for the rest of the meal. Raw ground lamb should be refrigerated and used within a couple of days or frozen, and patting it dry before broiling helps it brown rather than steam under the heat. Letting broiled patties or kofta rest for a few minutes off the heat also helps the juices settle before slicing or serving.