Mici

Mici

     Mici (meech) are the most popular Romanian outdoor grilled food. "Mici" are caseless sausages, made of ground beef meat mixed with spices, garlic, and beef broth. They are served with mustard, fries, and/or country bread next to a cold beer. From the inexpensive street food stops, to summer patios or fancy restaurants, you can find them all over the country! You can smell them everywhere in the summer and they smell so good! 

     In Romania you can buy them unprepared from any grocery store, fresh or frozen, then you can load up your car with a grill and charcoal and BBQ away on the side of the road! While I was living in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzagovinia back in the mid-1990's, I ate a food very similar to this called Chevap Chi Chi. Like most European nations, Romania shares many similar foods but prepares them just a little differently.  I enjoyed Chevap so much as a matter of fact, I snuck several pounds home to Naples, Italy on a C-130 (along with the delicious pita and Chi Chi cheese) and made them for the family.  I have prepared them here in the U.S. a couple times, only to reminisce the taste of Sarajevo where I just had to learn to prepare them. They were close, but just not the same as the authentic Chevap.  It takes at least 24 hours to prepare and mature the meat and have the truly tasty Mici experience.

     I learned about Romanian Mici in September 2018 at the 2nd Annual San Antonio Romanian Festival.  I didn't know until then there was such a large Romanian community here in South Texas.  We enjoyed the Mici, along with cabbage rolls and polenta, and I thought I'd share my first Romanian recipe experience with you.  I can't wait to have authentic Mici in Deveselu, Caracal, or Bucharest in the very near future!

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 2 lb ground beef
• ¼ lb ground beef suet*
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp of black pepper
• 2 tsp of summer savory**
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp of ground coriander
• ¼ tsp of ground all spice
• 1 tsp of paprika
• ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp of oil (for brushing)

Preparation:

     In a small glass, dissolve the baking soda with the lemon juice by stirring vigorously.  In a large bowl, incorporate the meat and all of the ingredients (except the oil), as well as the dissolved baking soda. Mix all of the ingredients together. Add the broth in stages, mixing well after each addition. The meat mixture needs to get to a consistency allowing shaping into small sausage shapes, you don't want your mixture to be too loose. Depending on your meat water content, you may not need to add all of the broth. You also want your mixture to incorporate enough liquid so the grilled "Mici" will be juicy. Refrigerate overnight for the meat to absorb all the flavors.

     Take the meat out of the refrigerator and with slightly wet hands, form the "mici" into a cylinder shape 2-3 inches long and 1 inch thick.

     Place them on a foil lined tray and continue to form "Mici" until all of the meat is finished. Brush them generously with cooking oil.

     Grill them on high heat, preferably on a charcoal grill and not electric or gas. Flip them to cook on all sides to your desired doneness. They are very good when done with just a little pink inside (I know Teresa, you don't like it pink inside) and very juicy.

     Serve with mustard, bread, or French fries along with a cold beer. Enjoy!

Mici

Notes

*Beef suet is the raw, hard fat of beef found around the loins and kidneys.  It is available at most grocery stores and is used a lot when preparing game.

**Summer Savory (cimbru) is one of the key spice ingredients of "Mici". You can replace it with dried basil, but the result will not be the original taste. If you like pork, you can use half beef and half pork, however, be aware of the fact, in this case the "Mici" will need to be thoroughly cooked, with no pink inside for you trichinosis worriers.