RECIPE / ONE REALIZATION

Sarajevski Ćevapi

This recipe for Sarajevski ćevapi is in line with tradition, from the ingredients to the preparation method. Depending on how big you make the ćevapi rolls, you will end up with either four or five servings since, on average, a portion of ćevapi is between 200 and 250 grams (7-8.8 oz). In case you make them smaller, make sure to have one extra somun on hand. As far as serving goes, Sarajevski ćevapi are served only with diced onion, but it has become common to serve it with kajmak as well.

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Photo: shutterstock

Servings: 4
Preparation: 40 min
Cooking: 20 min
Total: 25 hr

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1 kg ground baby beef
20g salt (or, more or less, depending on taste)
pepper, ground, if desired, per taste
4 somuna (flatbread)
onion, diced
300g kajmak (optional)

METHOD

01
Salt the meat, then knead it by hand and leave it to rest for 30 minutes. If desired, add ground pepper per taste.
02
Knead once more, cover the meat, and let it rest for 24 hours (or, 3 hours if you're in a rush).
03
For shaping, pack portions of the meat into a funnel or a piping bag and pipe into long sausages, then cut into 5-6cm pieces — you should end up with about 40-50 pieces of ćevapi.
04
Smear the grill with beef fat, then place the ćevapi on the grill.
05
Grill the ćevapi, turning them often, so they cook evenly.
06
When the ćevapi are nearly done, place the somun flatbreads on the meat to steam.
07
Serve each portion (10 pieces), tucked inside a somun, with a side of diced onion, and, if desired, some kajmak.

USEFUL NOTES

What to pay attention to

MEAT

The traditional choice is baby beef. The cuts used are chuck, brisket, round, flank, and rib. The meat should be ground twice, salted, and then rested for 24 hours to ferment.

shaping ćevapi

For at-home preparation, there are several ways you can shape ćevapi. First, with the help of a piping bag or a plastic bag; second, with the help of a plastic bottle — you cut it in half, place the meat inside, making sure it's well packed, and push it through the hole with the help of a glass; and third, shaping them by hand, in which case it's good to have your hands wet, so the meat does not stick. On average, ćevapi sausages are about 5cm long, but can be longer.

grilling ćevapi

Traditionally, ćevapi are grilled over charcoal and often turned, so they cook throughout and do not dry out. The grill should be pre-heated and should be brushed with oil or tallow. For at-home preparation, ćevapi can be pan-grilled but do not cover them at any point as that will create steam in the pan, and the ćevapi will end up being more cooked than grilled.

serving sizes

When it comes to serving Sarajevski ćevapi, a few options are available. One can go for five, ten, or fifteen ćevapi sausages in either half or a whole somun flatbread, complimentary with diced onion and, typically, a scoop of kajmak. However, kajmak is not a traditional side, yet adding it has become a common practice nowadays. Yogurt or sour milk are often accompanying the dish.