The "skinless sausage" born of Balkan charcoal
Serbia sits in the middle of the Balkan Peninsula, and its capital Belgrade lies on the Danube. In this country, the dish you arrive at, led by the smoke of charcoal grills on the street, is ćevapčići (Ćevapčići / Ćevapi).
Ćevapčići are small sausages made from ground beef and lamb (or pork), seasoned with spices, shaped into fingers without casing and grilled over charcoal. Each is a small cylinder about 5 to 8 cm long and about 2 cm thick, and a portion of about 10 is served in a flatbread called lepinja, with chopped raw onion and kajmak, a fermented cream cheese typical of the Balkans.
The name is related to "kebab." The dish came to the Balkan Peninsula during the Ottoman period (14th to 19th century) and developed in its own way in each country. It varies from region to region, and it is a relative of Turkish köfte and kebab.
Alongside Bosnian burek (in Japanese) and Polish pierogi, it is a well-loved dish of the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
Ingredients (serves 4, about 40 pieces)
The ćevapčići
The proportion of beef to other meat varies. Beef plus lamb, or beef plus pork, are both common. Any blend turns out delicious, but keep beef at a minimum of half. Where ground lamb is hard to find, ground pork works well enough.
This dish uses beef and pork (or lamb). Lepinja contains wheat. Kajmak contains milk. If you have a wheat allergy, skip the lepinja and eat the ćevapčići on their own with a salad. If you have a milk allergy, an avocado dip can substitute for the kajmak.
Cooking tips
Adding baking soda to ćevapčići tips the pH of the meat toward alkaline and loosens the protein bonds, so it turns out fluffy and juicy when cooked. Too much makes it bitter, so keep strictly to 1/2 tsp.
You can cook right after shaping, but resting overnight in the refrigerator makes it much more delicious. Resting lets the spices penetrate the meat and brings out the full effect of the baking soda. Cooking from cold also reduces the risk of overcooking the center before the surface turns crisp. There are many dishes where the resting time decides the taste, such as Georgian khinkali.
Genuine kajmak is hard to get outside the Balkans, but mixing 100 g sour cream + 50 g cream cheese and leaving it at room temperature for 20 minutes reproduces a taste and texture close to kajmak. For something more authentic, simmer 200 ml of heavy cream over low heat for 30 minutes and collect the skin that forms on the surface (it takes time but comes closest to the real thing).
The rule for ćevapčići is to cook at high temperature for a short time. Slow cooking over low heat lets the juices run out and makes them dry. Preheat the grill pan until it smokes and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side over high heat. They are done when the internal temperature reaches 72°C. High heat for a short time is also the secret of Turkish köfte.
Variations
Chicken ćevapčići
Use 600 g of ground chicken in place of the beef and lamb. Chicken is low in fat, so add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the mixture to make up for the juiciness. Increase the paprika (1 tbsp) and switch to smoked paprika, and a deep flavor appears that makes up for the blandness of chicken.
Cheese-stuffed ćevapčići
Shape the mixture with a small piece of feta in the center. When grilled, the cheese melts and flows out the moment you bite in, a rich version. You can enjoy the golden ratio of "meat and cheese," like Georgian khachapuri.
Spicy version
Increase the cayenne to 1 tsp and mix chopped chile into the mixture. It goes very well with beer.
Japanese-style twist
Use 2 tsp of shichimi togarashi in place of the paprika and serve with yuzu kosho at the end. Sandwich in naan or sliced white bread in place of lepinja, and serve with chopped scallion + grated daikon in place of raw onion, and it comes close to a Japanese tsukune. Like Azerbaijani piti, meat dishes from the Middle East to the Balkans pair well with Japanese flavors.
Background
The Ottoman legacy
The origin of ćevapčići goes back to the period of Ottoman rule. The Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Balkan Peninsula from the 14th to the 19th century, brought the kebab culture of Anatolia (present-day Turkey) to the Balkans. The Persian word "kebab" came through Turkish to "ćevap," and with a suffix indicating a small version, it became "ćevapčići."
But the people of the Balkans did not simply accept kebab; they developed their own style. While Turkish kebab developed into şiş (skewered) and döner (rotating spit), in the Balkans the distinct style of no casing, no skewer, shaped by hand and cooked over direct heat was established.
Rostiljnica: Balkan grill culture
Towns in Serbia and Bosnia have countless grill eateries called ćevabdžinica / rostiljnica. The style of setting a charcoal grill facing the street and drawing in passersby with smoke and aroma is the original scene of Balkan food culture. Ćevapčići alongside bean dishes like North Macedonian tavče gravče (in Japanese) and pies like Romanian plăcintă show the diversity of Balkan cooking.
Nutrition (per serving of 4, about 10 pieces)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 520kcal |
| Protein | 38g |
| Fat | 32g |
| Carbohydrates | 22g |
| Fiber | 2g |
| Sodium | 720mg |
Dishes to make alongside
- An Introduction to Georgian Cuisine (in Japanese) - Reuses ingredients and aromas from the same region.
- How to make fërgesë (in Japanese) - Reuses ingredients and aromas from the same region.
- How to make piti - Reuses ingredients and aromas from the same region.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. I can't get lamb. What can I substitute?
Ground pork is the most common substitute. A blend of beef plus pork is common to begin with, so it comes closer to a local style. You can also use all ground beef, but fat may be lacking and it may turn dry, so a good option is mixing 400 g of lean ground beef + 50 g of pork fat (back fat) in a food processor.
Q2. My ćevapčići fall apart when cooked.
There are two main causes. (1) The meat was overmixed: stop when it just holds together lightly. (2) The pan was not hot enough: preheat until it smokes and never move them for the first 2 minutes. Touch them before the surface sets and they fall apart. Resting thoroughly in the refrigerator also helps prevent breaking.
Q3. Can ćevapčići be frozen?
Yes, they can be frozen after shaping. Wrap them one by one in plastic wrap, or lay them on parchment on a tray and freeze, then gather into zip bags once frozen. They keep 1 month. To cook, don't thaw; cook straight from frozen over medium heat for 3 minutes per side.
Q4. What can I use instead of kajmak?
A mixture of 100 g sour cream + 50 g cream cheese is the closest substitute. Store-bought sour cream alone is also fine. Italian mascarpone has a similar texture. The flavor differs, but strained yogurt is also a healthy alternative.
Q5. What is ajvar, and where can I buy it?
Ajvar is a Balkan all-purpose condiment made by roasting red peppers over charcoal, peeling them and turning them into a paste with garlic and eggplant. Jarred ajvar can be bought at import and specialty grocers. To make your own, roast 4 red bell peppers in the oven, peel them, process them in a food processor and season with garlic and salt.
Related Eastern European and Balkan dishes
If ćevapčići have caught your interest, do try other Balkan and Eastern European dishes too.
- Burek (in Japanese) — Bosnia's spiral pie. A national dish of the Balkans along with ćevapčići
- Köfte — Turkey's spiced meatballs. The "ancestor" of ćevapčići
- Pierogi (in Japanese) — Poland's dumplings. A representative of Eastern Europe's flour-based foods
- Goulash — Hungary's paprika stew. A link in paprika culture
