Mititei (Romanian Grilled Skinless Sausages)

About This Recipe

Mititei (literally 'little ones', often called mici) are Romania's national grilled meat — short, plump, skinless sausages of mixed minced beef, pork, and lamb, kneaded with garlic, thyme, savory, black pepper, and a critical pinch of bicarbonate of soda that aerates the mixture and gives mititei their signature springy, almost gelatinous bite. They were invented in 1880s Bucharest at the legendary Caru' cu Bere when sausage casings ran out and the cook simply shaped the spiced meat by hand. Grilled over charcoal until charred and juicy, mititei are eaten with mustard (always Tecuci mustard if you're serious), white bread, pickles, and a glass of cold beer at every Romanian summer barbecue, football match, and roadside grill. The meat must rest 24 hours minimum — fresh from the mixer they taste raw and underseasoned; rested, they bloom.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 500 gminced beef (20% fat)
• 300 gminced pork (20% fat)
• 200 gminced lamb (or extra pork if unavailable)
• 8 clovesgarlic, finely grated to a paste
• 1.5 tspfine salt
• 1 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 1 tspdried savory (cimbru) or extra thyme
• 0.5 tspground allspice
• 0.5 tspground coriander seed
• 0.5 tspground caraway
• 1 tspbicarbonate of soda
• 150 mlice-cold beef stock or sparkling water
• 2 tbspsunflower oil, for brushing
• Tecuci mustard and crusty bread, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix meats

   Combine all three minces in a large bowl. Keep everything cold — work over an ice bath if your kitchen is warm.

2. 2

   Add aromatics

   Add garlic paste, salt, pepper, thyme, savory, allspice, coriander, and caraway. Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda evenly over the surface.

3. 3

   Knead and aerate

   With cold hands or a stand mixer with paddle, knead the mixture for 5–7 minutes, gradually adding the cold stock 1 tbsp at a time. The mass should become pale, sticky, and slightly fluffy — air incorporation is key.

4. 4

   Rest 24 hours

   Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, ideally 24. This rest is non-negotiable — the bicarbonate works on the proteins, garlic mellows, spices bloom.

5. 5

   Shape

   Wet hands with cold water. Form the mixture into 18 stubby cylinders about 10 cm long and 3 cm thick. Tap each on the work surface to compact — there should be no air pockets.

6. 6

   Heat grill

   Light a charcoal grill or chimney starter; let coals burn to medium-high heat with white ash. A gas grill works at 220°C; cast-iron grill pan also acceptable.

7. 7

   Grill

   Brush mititei lightly with oil. Place on the grates. Grill 5 minutes per side, turning a quarter-turn each minute to char all 4 sides evenly. They puff up — that's the bicarbonate working.

8. 8

   Check doneness

   An internal thermometer should read 70°C. The juices run clear; the skin is mahogany; the inside is just-set and bouncy.

9. 9

   Serve immediately

   Pile onto a wooden board with a heap of Tecuci mustard, white bread, pickled hot peppers, and a cold pilsner.

Variations

• •

  Caru' cu Bere style — add 1 tsp ground sweet paprika and a splash of brandy.

• •

  Spicy version — work in 1 finely chopped jalapeño and 1 tsp chili flakes.

• •

  Oven version — bake at 230°C for 12 minutes if grilling isn't an option, but the flavor isn't the same.

Storage

Cooked mititei refrigerate 3 days; reheat in a dry pan to crisp the outside. Uncooked mixture freezes 2 months — shape and freeze on a tray, then bag.

Frequently Asked Questions