Grill recipes
Ștefan Baciu, 30.04.2017, 13:46
Another interesting grill
recipe are joints roasted on the spit, although this dish may take more time to
prepare. You need a kilo of pork butt, or any other kind of fatty meat, and cut
it in small 3 cm cubes. Place all these slices on a 30 cm spike with onion,
mushrooms and bell pepper slices between them. These spikes are all placed on
the grill but care should be taken to rotate them in order to grill them
properly on either side. You can serve them hot with French fries and a pint of
cold beer.
However, nothing compares
with the traditional mititei. This is a
staple of any festive gathering of Romanians. It is to Romanians what burgers
are to Americans. We are talking about the so-called mici or mititei,
skinless sausages grilled to a crisp on high heat, preferably on charcoal. Most
likely based on a Turkish recipe, that for kebab, it is now a Balkan staple,
being eaten with delight in all countries of the area. However, the Balkan Christians
have included pork in the original mutton-based mix.
This is how we make them: mix in equal parts minced
beef, mutton and pork, seasoned with black pepper, dried thyme, allspice, one
whole head of garlic for each kilogram of meat, which we turn to a paste, and
salt to taste. To make the mixture more tender, either add minced fat, or a
strong stock made from beef bones. Put in all the finely ground spices and mix
well to an even consistency, and at the end add a mixture of baking soda and
lemon juice, blending well. It is best left a few hours in the fridge for the
flavours to blend.
When you are ready to grill, take out the mixture,
and start taking out small handfuls of the mix, as much as you can hold with
closed fingers, shaping them like tiny loaves of bread. Leave them a bit for
the surface to dry, reducing the mess, since the mixture is quite sticky. It is
helpful to rub a bit of cooking oil on your palms when handling them to avoid
this problem. The Romanian traditional way of cooking them is on a grill close
to a bed of searing hot charcoal, so that the surface is almost burned while
the insides are still slightly pink. Grilling them to perfection is an art
form, so keep practicing, and definitely enjoy!
