Easter may have been traditionally celebrated this past weekend, but some will actually be observing it this Sunday. That’s because Orthodox Christians adhere to the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar, followed by all other Christians. The Orthodox Church also requires that Easter (“pascha”) take place after the Jewish celebration of Passover. Interesting, right? We even asked an expert for her take on the food aspects of the holiday. Our one big takeaway was that Greeks love to eat lamb on Easter Sunday. Make these lamb meatballs to celebrate this Sunday…or for dinner anytime!

Lamb is a biggie around Easter time, and I love big, bold Greek flavors in general — and lamb in particular! The secret to the flavors here is to taste and then try to make sure you’re almost pushing the limit with both the lemon and the salt — like you’ve just about used too much of each, which is then just enough. They temper each other. Add the refreshing brightness of the mint, and you have a worthy foil for the rich gaminess of the lamb. The tzatziki here is made with cheese instead of yogurt, which brings together citrus, mint and goat cheese — what could be more lamb-friendly than that?

Jay Murray is executive chef of Grill 23 & Bar in Boston’s Back Bay.