Mititei Mici Romanian Meat Sticks Recipes

MITITEI- AUTHENTIC ROMANIAN GRILLED SAUSAGES RECIPE

Steps:

• Dissolve baking soda in the beef broth or plain water. Set aside.
• Use a garlic press to crush the garlic cloves.
• Place the meat with all ingredients in a large bowl, including the garlic, and mix thoroughly. (If you have a stand mixer, this will work too. )
• Add the broth in stages, mixing well after each addition. (The meat mixture needs to get to a smooth consistency, like a paste, but not too loose.) You might not need to use all the broth/water.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight for the meat to absorb the flavors.
• The next day, line a tray with foil and set it aside.
• Take the meat out of the refrigerator and, with wet hands, form the "Mititei" in a cylinder shape 2-3 inches long and 1 inch thick.
• Place them on the tray. Continue until you finish all the meat.
• Grill them on high heat, preferably on coal, not gas. Flip them to cook on both sides and cook them to your desired doneness. (around 8 minutes)
• They are delicious when done with just a little pink inside and very juicy.
• Serve with mustard, fresh bread, or French fries next to a cold beer.
• Notes: The "Mititei" meat should contain a pretty good amount of fat. The original recipes use beef suet, fat pork meat(usually shoulder), or lamb. You can use only beef, but you will need to add oil to the mixture to replace the fat. If you do not use fat, the Mititei will be dry.
• Baking soda is mandatory, so do not omit it.

ROMANIAN MITITEI (MICI)

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except soda water and baking soda until well blended.
• Blend in baking soda.
• Slowly add soda water a little at a time until well combined. Mixture should be moist but not so much that it cannot hold a shape.
• Form meat into cylindrical shapes about 2-3 inches long and 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Grill (or fry but they won't be as tasty) turning every few minutes until cooked through, about 10 minutes depending on your grill).
• Serve with a light mustard.

MITITEI (ROMANIAN STREET FOOD)

Steps:

• Make the meat mixture: Add all the ingredients and ¼ cup of the broth to the bowl of your stand mixer. Start mixing using the dough hook or paddle attachment for about 3 minutes on medium low. As the liquid is absorbed by the meat, keep adding ¼ cup of broth at a time until all the liquid is absorbed.
• Cover and chill: Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl and press it down with a spatula to push out any air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This allows all the ingredients to get friendly, resulting in very tasty sausages.
• Shape into sausages: Form the meat into long little sausages that are about 4 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter. You can use a piping bag, this way you'll end up with perfect mititei all the same size. You can also use your clean hands to shape them into long sausages. This is easier achieved if you wet your hands as you roll the meat. Make sure they are long enough, as they do tend to shrink when grilling.
• Grill the sausages: Grill on a hot grill, turning every 3 minutes on each side. You want to make sure the grill is not scorching hot, as they will burn on the outside and will end up raw in the middle. If the heat is too low they will dry out.
• Serve: Serve with lots mustard and french fries.

MITITEI (MICI) ROMANIAN MEAT STICKS

Steps:

• Place all the ground meat into a large bowl.
• Add garlic, onions, and all spices (dry ingredients).
• Using hands or spoon, thoroughly mix and combine the contents in the bowl.
• After everything is mixed, slowly add water to the bowl. Only add a small amount of water at a time, watching the consistency of the meat.
• Mix in water until the meat has taken on almost a puree consistency.
• Form meat into oval or stick shapes, making sure all sticks are the same thickness.
• Pre-heat grill to 350 degrees
• For best results, place Mititei on top rack of grill.
• Grill Mititei for 10 minutes, then turn, and cook an additional 10 minutes.
• Serve right off the grill with mustard.

ROMANIAN GRILLED MINCED MEAT ROLLS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, suet, baking soda, caraway seeds, garlic, salt, pepper and juniper berries using your hands. Mix with your hands for about 15 minutes, adding a little bit of the water at a time. This part can be made a few hours ahead of time if you like.
• Preheat a grill for high heat. With wet hands form the meat into rolls about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick. Brush lightly with oil.
• Grill the meat for 5 to 10 minutes, basting frequently with a mixture of beef broth and any remaining oil, until well done.