Mititei

Ingredients

Meat

• 700 gminced beef, 20 per cent fat
• 300 gminced lamb or pork

Seasoning

• 1whole head of garlic, crushed to a paste
• 1 tbspsalt
• 1 tbspground black pepper
• 1 tspground allspice
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 1 tspground coriander
• ½ tspground caraway
• a pinch of ground clove

The essentials

• 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
• 200 mlcold beef stock, or cold sparkling water

To serve

• mustard
• fresh bread
• pickles
• beer

Directions

1. Use fatty mince, around 20 per cent fat, and do not be tempted to use lean. Lean meat gives dry, crumbly mici. Crush the garlic to a smooth paste with a little salt, using a whole head and not a few cloves.
2. Mix the mince with the garlic, salt, pepper and all the spices. Now work the cold stock into the meat, a little at a time, kneading hard with your hands.
3. Knead it for a full 10 minutes, far longer than feels right for minced meat. You are working the proteins until the mixture turns sticky and paste-like, and that emulsion is what stops them falling apart on the grill.
4. Keep the liquid and the meat cold throughout, and work in a cool room or over a bowl of ice. If the fat warms and smears, the emulsion breaks and the mici turn greasy and crumbly.
5. Stir in the bicarbonate last, mix it through thoroughly, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The bicarbonate needs hours to work through the meat, and the flavours need the same time.
6. Prick each one a few times with a fork. Grill over hot charcoal for 4 to 5 minutes a side, turning often.
7. Baste them with a little salted water or stock as they cook, which is what the grill cooks do. They are done when they are well browned outside and just cooked through, and they should still be juicy. Serve immediately with mustard, plain bread and pickles, and eat them with your fingers.

Technique

• The spice mix varies by household and the garlic, pepper and allspice are the constants.
• Beef alone, or beef with lamb, or all three meats are all traditional.
• They freeze well shaped and raw, and go on the grill from frozen.

Substitutions

• Cold sparkling water in place of stock, which is common.
• Baking powder at a pinch, though bicarbonate is what recipes specify.

Variations

• Made with all beef, which is the Bucharest standard.
• With more lamb, for a stronger flavour.
• Cooked in a pan, which works but loses the smoke.

History

Skinless grilled minced-meat rolls seasoned with garlic and bicarbonate of soda, shared with Romania as mici.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mititei?

Mititei is a street food from Moldova: grilled skinless garlicky sausages. Skinless grilled minced-meat rolls seasoned with garlic and bicarbonate of soda, shared with Romania as mici.

How long does Mititei take to make?

Mititei takes 30 min plus overnight resting of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 20. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Mititei?

Yes, within limits. Cold sparkling water in place of stock, which is common. Baking powder at a pinch, though bicarbonate is what recipes specify.

What is the most important thing to get right in Mititei?

Use fatty mince, around 20 per cent fat, and do not be tempted to use lean. Lean meat gives dry, crumbly mici. Crush the garlic to a smooth paste with a little salt, using a whole head and not a few cloves.