Grilled Mititei, Romanian Skinless Garlic Sausages

What you need

• 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) ground beef, about 20% fat
• 300 g (11 oz) ground pork, fatty
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 100 ml (1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp) beef stock, ice cold
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for the grill grate
• mustard, to serve
• crusty bread, to serve

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Chop the garlic, sprinkle with the salt and crush with the flat of a knife into a smooth paste.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, garlic paste, baking soda, black pepper, paprika and thyme.

3. 3

   Add the stock a few spoonfuls at a time while kneading the meat firmly for 8-10 min, until it turns sticky, pale and paste-like and clings to your hand. Keep the meat cold the whole time.

4. 4

   Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 12 hr. The soda and the rest are what give mititei their springy, tender bite. If pressed, 4 hr is the minimum.

5. 5

   Light a charcoal grill and let the coals burn until they are covered in white ash, 25-30 min. A grill pan heated over high heat works too.

6. 6

   Wet your hands. Take about 50 g of meat and roll it into a fat sausage 7-8 cm (3 in) long and 2.5 cm (1 in) thick, pressing lightly so it holds together. Repeat to make about 18.

7. 7

   Wipe the grate with oil on a folded paper towel.

8. 8

   Lay the mititei on the hot grate, spaced apart. Grill, turning every 2 min, until deeply browned and cooked through, 8-10 min. The center should reach 71 °C (160 °F), with no pink inside.

9. 9

   Serve at once with mustard and bread.

Imported from kashevar.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.