What's cookin': NYT 20-Minute Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt-Tahini Dipping Sauce

I grew up in a family of lamb eaters...the lone dissenter. I have no idea why on earth I felt compelled to make this the other day, but I saw the recipe, bought all the fixin's, and did just that. I have to confess to softening my anti-lambie stance to some small degree as an adult. Served hyper-spiced, I seem to be better with it's typical gaminess. These meatballs come together in no time, have no fillers, and are great paired with nothing more than a simple bean salad I'll post next.

NYT's 20 Minute Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Tahini Dipping Sauce
(slightly adapted from NYT recipe)

1 lb natural ground lamb
3/4 tsp smoked salt (original recipe calls for 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt...sounded like too much)
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp Aleppo pepper (soooo good! I subbed this for the 1/2 tsp of chili powder in original recipe)
1/2 tsp hot sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced, divided (use most in the meat mixture, but save a little for the sauce)
1 green onion, minced
black pepper to taste
2 Tbs minced parsley, divided
Olive oil, or a good cooking spray

Sauce:
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt, and added a little water to the sauce to make up for the thickness)
1/4 cup tahini
touch of reserved minced garlic
lemon juice to taste
salt to taste
I added some more Aleppo pepper so that's an option
use a little water to thin if necessary

Yogurt Tahini Sauce

Mix all of the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Set broiler to high, with the rack placed about 3 inches from flame.

In a large bowl, mix together lamb through black pepper, then add 1 Tbs parsley. Combine well, but don't overmix. Form about 12 meatballs. They'll be around 1 1/2 inches. Don't get fussy with this step.

Place meatballs on a lightly oiled sheet pan evenly. I spritzed the tops of the meatballs with a light spray of oil to help brown them.
Broil meatballs for about 4 minutes, turn them over, then broil another 2-3 minutes more. Try not to overcook them, since there are none of the usual fillers in there to keep them moist.