Croatian · Beef
Cevapi Sausages
Traditional Balkan grilled sausages made from seasoned ground meat formed into finger-shaped links and grilled until golden. These flavorful cevapcici are perfect for outdoor grilling and are traditionally served with flatbread, onions, and ajvar.
The Method
Instructions
Alright, let's start by grabbing a large bowl and placing the ground meat into it. Next, finely chop the onion until it's almost like a soft little pile of flavor, and grate the garlic cloves so they melt beautifully into the mix. Toss both the onion and garlic into the bowl with the meat.
Now, add the fresh chopped parsley along with all your favorite paprika , I love how the different types bring out this warm, smoky character in the sausages. Then sprinkle in the baking powder, the dried breadcrumbs, and crumble in the vegetable stock cube (Vegeta). Add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper to really build the layers of taste. Finally, pour in a bit of water to help everything come together.
With all the ingredients in the bowl, it's time to get your hands in there! Using a hand mixer fitted with the dough hooks is perfect here for mixing everything evenly and working the meat a little, but if you don't have one, rolling up your sleeves and mixing by hand works just fine too. Blend everything together really well until it's a nice, sticky mixture. Once it's well combined, cover the bowl tightly with cling film or plastic foil and pop it into the fridge. Let it rest and chill for about 1 to 2 hours , this step helps the flavors marry together and makes the mixture easier to handle.
After the resting time, it's shaping time! Take portions of the meat mixture, about 50 to 55 grams each, or roughly ¼ cup if you're using that measurement. Roll each portion into little sausage shapes , aim for them to be about as thick as your thumb and around 7 to 10 centimeters (or 3 to 4 inches) long. You should end up with about 18 sausages from this batch, but feel free to double the recipe if you want to feed a crowd.
Now for the fun part: grilling! Heat up your grill pan or fire up the barbecue until it's nice and hot. Place the cevapcici on the grill and cook them for about 12 to 14 minutes. Be sure to turn them several times during cooking so they brown evenly on all sides and stay juicy inside. To check if they're done, cut one right in the middle to make sure it's cooked through; once you're happy with one, you can cook the rest for the same amount of time without checking again.
Serve these beauties hot, straight off the grill, for the best flavor experience. If you happen to have leftovers, don't worry , you can reheat the cevapcici in the oven set to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 10 minutes or until piping hot. Just check one after 10 minutes, and if it's not quite warm enough, pop them back in for a few more minutes. Enjoy every flavorful bite!
Now, add the fresh chopped parsley along with all your favorite paprika , I love how the different types bring out this warm, smoky character in the sausages. Then sprinkle in the baking powder, the dried breadcrumbs, and crumble in the vegetable stock cube (Vegeta). Add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper to really build the layers of taste. Finally, pour in a bit of water to help everything come together.
With all the ingredients in the bowl, it's time to get your hands in there! Using a hand mixer fitted with the dough hooks is perfect here for mixing everything evenly and working the meat a little, but if you don't have one, rolling up your sleeves and mixing by hand works just fine too. Blend everything together really well until it's a nice, sticky mixture. Once it's well combined, cover the bowl tightly with cling film or plastic foil and pop it into the fridge. Let it rest and chill for about 1 to 2 hours , this step helps the flavors marry together and makes the mixture easier to handle.
After the resting time, it's shaping time! Take portions of the meat mixture, about 50 to 55 grams each, or roughly ¼ cup if you're using that measurement. Roll each portion into little sausage shapes , aim for them to be about as thick as your thumb and around 7 to 10 centimeters (or 3 to 4 inches) long. You should end up with about 18 sausages from this batch, but feel free to double the recipe if you want to feed a crowd.
Now for the fun part: grilling! Heat up your grill pan or fire up the barbecue until it's nice and hot. Place the cevapcici on the grill and cook them for about 12 to 14 minutes. Be sure to turn them several times during cooking so they brown evenly on all sides and stay juicy inside. To check if they're done, cut one right in the middle to make sure it's cooked through; once you're happy with one, you can cook the rest for the same amount of time without checking again.
Serve these beauties hot, straight off the grill, for the best flavor experience. If you happen to have leftovers, don't worry , you can reheat the cevapcici in the oven set to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 10 minutes or until piping hot. Just check one after 10 minutes, and if it's not quite warm enough, pop them back in for a few more minutes. Enjoy every flavorful bite!
Pairs Well With
