Ćevapi are here to save summer grilling!
You can easily make your own sausages at home for the next cookout
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It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single dish packed with garlic and cooked over a grill will taste delicious.
So when summer arrives and the urge to have a cookout takes over, I want ćevapi—savory, smoky caseless sausages found throughout the Balkans.
They are served simply: often with onions, ajvar (a staple Balkan condiment made from roasted red bell peppers and eggplant), and a flatbread similar to a pita called lepijne. Some variations are served with sour cream. If that sounds like a gyro or kofta kebab to you, you’re correct. The word ćevapi comes from the Turkish kebap. I did get that information from Wikipedia, so maybe take it with a grain of salt.
The Case for the Caseless Sausage
I’m making a case for you to make ćevapi and ajvar for your next cookout.
Ćevapi with ajvar are, in my Serbian-Slovak opinion, the perfect street food. The dish packs deep, smoky flavor into every bite. Both ćevapi and ajvar are easy to make ahead of time and in bulk.
Americans will be celebrating July 4 in a few weeks. July also happens to kick off peak season for red bell peppers and eggplant in the U.S.
Try something different. Impress your friends with the fact that you made your own sausages. Fall in love with ajvar and put it on everything you eat forever. I dare you to make a giant batch for canning and eat it for the rest of the year.
Despite my Yugo heritage and love of ćevapi, I’d never made them myself until recently. In fact, a few months ago, a Makans of a Chef reader asked if I had a good ćevapi recipe to share, and I had to disappoint.
However, after some time spent in the kitchen and some research, I can now confidently share how to make mouthwatering, can’t-stop-eating-them ćevapi and their perfect compliment: sweet, luscious ajvar (pronounced EYE-var).
Recipe: Ćevapi
A few thoughts on making successful ćevapi: First, the meats you use matter. I used a combination of beef and lamb for the ćevapi pictured in this post, but I recommend using pork in the mixture because it has more fat and will help keep the sausages from drying out or sticking to the grill.
High-quality paprika makes a difference; so does the type of paprika you use. You can keep it classic. You can opt for hot paprika—my favorite. If you like smoked paprika, I suggest using a touch less than what I’ll call for below because the flavor is much stronger.
Baking soda is the secret binding ingredient that keeps the sausages together without a casing, but you don’t need a lot.
Feel free to double or triple the recipe to feed a large crowd. You can also freeze the ćevapi to use over 2-3 months when you need a quick meal.
Ingredients
2 lbs. ground meat (combo of beef, pork, and/or lamb)
4-6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/2 T paprika
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp baking soda
Mix all ingredients with your hands in a large bowl. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, up to overnight.
Form sausages by rolling the meat mixture in your hands or on a clean surface. I “eyeball” the amount I like, but an ice cream scoop or measuring cup can keep the size of each sausage consistent.
If you’re saving the ćevapi for another day, lay them out on a parchment-lined tray, wrap and freeze.
If not, fire up the grill on high. If your grill gets extremely hot (unlike mine), maybe medium-high.
Grilling time depends on the size of the ćevapi. Mine took 4-5 minutes per side.
Serve with flatbread (I used naan for this post), raw onion (bonus points if you marinate onion slices in Vegeta 30 min. ahead of time), and ajvar.
Recipe: Ajvar
A lesson learned in making this ungodly delicious relish: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. At first, I tried to riff on traditional ajvar with some unconventional ingredients, and you know what? The original was way better.
So here’s the traditional recipe. It should yield roughly a quart—feel free to halve if you want a small batch.
Ingredients:
4 red bell peppers
2 medium eggplants
5 cloves of garlic (bonus points for roasted garlic)
2 T olive oil
2 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp salt (more to taste if needed)
1 tsp black pepper
Heat the grill on high. Place eggplants and bell peppers directly on the grill for about 15 minutes, turning every few minutes until the skins of the vegetables are completely charred.
Place the eggplant and peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic or a clean tea towel for 15 minutes to steam. This will help loosen the vegetable skins.
Peel the skin off the eggplants and peppers and remove the tops. Remove seeds from peppers.
Toss the peppers and eggplant into a food processor with garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times until everything is combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Allow the ajvar to cool before serving.
Ajvar will keep for about 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. It can also be canned in sanitized jars to hold for much longer.
Alternative ajvar methods:
This same recipe can be done in a blender but will have a much thinner texture
You can also let the peppers and eggplant cool, then chop them up by hand for a chunkier texture. Just make sure to mince the garlic, too.
Bonus uses for ajvar:
On toast with an egg and sliced green onions. Happy breakfast.
On any sandwich or burger
For my vegetarians and vegans: spread it on top of grilled summer squash with flatbread, beans, and onions—the meat-free version of the whole meal!
You made it to the end! If you enjoyed this post or want to tell me how to make ćevapi or ajvar better, click the little heart at the bottom of the post or leave a comment.
Yes! These are on every Australian barbecue as well, thanks to our great Balkan butchers. Nothing more delicious (with a cold beer).
Thanks Jennifer. There are these small differences between the meat mixtures in the Balkans, but you're right: they are a staple on each barbecue.