Paula Wolfert’s Cevapcici
Serves 4-6 INGREDIENTS
1to 2cloves garlic, peeled ¾ teaspoon flaky sea salt 1½ pounds ground beef, preferably 80 percent lean (or 1 pound beef and ½ pound pork or lamb) 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika or Pimenton de la Vera Picante ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon mild red pepper flakes, preferably Aleppo or Marash 3tablespoons club soda
DIRECTIONS
Using a mortar and pestle or the back of a heavy knife, crush the garlic and salt together, forming a paste. Transfer the garlic to a large bowl. Add the beef, paprika, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Using your fingertips, gently rub the seasoning into the meat, distributing evenly. Using a rubber spatula, gradually fold in the club soda until a smooth consistency is achieved. Dampen your hands with water and form the meat into 20 sausages, each about 1 inch wide and 3inches long. They should look like short, chubby hot dogs. Light a medium-high fire in a charcoal or gas grill, heat a stove-top grill pan over medium high or pre-heat the broiler. Pack each sausage around a skewer. (If using bamboo skewers over an open flame, soak the skewers in water for 30minutes first. It’s also fine to grill these without skewers.) Grill or broil the cevapcici, turning them a few times, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. (Grill for 6to 8minutes for a beef-pork or beef-lamb blend.) Serve hot or warm with fluffy pitas, Turkish yogurt sauce, sliced red onion and ajvar, a tangy spread of eggplant and red peppers.