Lamb and Sweet Onion Pitas with Orange-Cucumber Salad

Ground lamb is often a bargain buy. Here, it’s put to delicious use in an all-in-one meal of stuffed pita sandwiches and a bright, citrusy salad.

• 2-1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 large oranges
• 1 small English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 2 pitas, halved and very lightly toasted
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add about three-quarters of the onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onion to a small bowl; set aside.


Cook the lamb, cinnamon, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in the skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes; drain well.


Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining raw onion and transfer to a large bowl. Cut the peels and pith from the oranges. Working over a bowl to collect the juice, cut the orange segments free from the membranes. Cut the segments into chunks. Add the oranges, orange juice, cucumber, vinegar, mint, and the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the chopped raw onion; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Fill the pitas with the lamb and cooked onions. Add some of the orange-cucumber salad and a dollop of yogurt. Serve the remaining salad on the side.