North African Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Couscous

In a large bowl, combine the ground lamb, breadcrumbs, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper (if using), salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

Form the lamb mixture into 1-inch meatballs. You should get about 18-20 meatballs.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Once browned, remove the meatballs from the skillet and set aside. Pour off any excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.

Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the meatballs to the skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

While the meatballs are simmering, prepare the couscous. Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Pour 1 1/4 cups of hot water over the couscous, add a pinch of salt, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the couscous is fluffy.

Fluff the couscous with a fork. Serve the North African Spiced Lamb Meatballs and sauce over the prepared couscous.