Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs ground pork
- 1 lb lean ground beef (I like to use veal)
- 1/2 lb ground lamb
- 1 egg white
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp dried or fresh chives chopped
- 4 pita bread or 4 white bread or 4 roll (optional)
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, ground lamb and egg white. Add the garlic, salt, baking soda, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika. Mix well using your hands.
- Form into finger length sausages about 3/4 inch thick. Arrange on a plate (I use a baking pan).
- Cover with plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for one hour to one day, to let the flavors settle and the mixture become firm.
- Preheat the grill, medium-low heat. Lightly oil the grilling surface.
- Grill cevapcici until cooked through, turning as needed. The grilling usually takes about 30 minutes.
- Serve in warmed or grilled pita bread, white bread or rolls on a bed of chopped onions, with your choice of toppings such as kajmak, sour cream, cottage cheese, fresh peppers, ajvar or tomatoes… Or just eat them plain :-)
Notes
Ćevapi or ćevapčići is a grilled dish of minced meat, a type of kebab, found traditionally in the countries of southeastern Europe. They are considered a national dish in Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Serbia. They are also common in Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, as well as in Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and the Italian provinces bordering Slovenia.
As you all know, I love all kinds of sausages and this little sausage from Serbia is another of my favorites. The very best way to cook this is over a charcoal grill, but you can cook it on an inside grill (cast iron) or simply in a fry pan.
They are usually served of 5-10 pieces on a plate or in a flatbread (lepinje or somun), often with chopped onions, sour cream, kajmak, ajvar, cottage cheese, minced red pepper and salt. Bosnian ćevapi are made from two types of minced beef meat, hand mixed and formed with a funnel, while formed ćevapi are grilled. Serb ćevapčići are made of either beef, lamb or pork or mixed. Macedonian, Croatian, Bulgarian and Romanian varieties are often made of both pork and beef.