Romania · Piatto principale · Media
Mici
Romania's skinless garlic sausages, juicy from stock and springy from baking soda
Mici are small skinless sausages of minced beef and pork, seasoned with garlic, thyme and pepper and grilled over high heat. Baking soda and cold stock worked into the meat, then an overnight rest, give them their springy bite and juicy centre.
- Energia
- 553 kcala porzione
- Preparazione
- 25 min
- Cottura
- 15 min
- Riposo
- 12 h
- Proteine
- 36 g
Com'è venuta?
Attrezzatura
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl and whisk
- Cling film or a lidded box
- Charcoal grill, gas grill or heavy ridged grill pan
- Tongs or a wide spatula
- Instant-read thermometer
Prima di iniziare
- Keep the meat in the fridge until the moment you mix it. Warm fat smears and the mici turn crumbly.
- Peel and crush the garlic to a smooth paste with a pinch of the salt.
- Measure all the dry spices into one small bowl.
- Chill the stock well; it must be fridge-cold.
Procedimento
-
Infuse the garlic
8 spicchi garlic200 ml beef stockStir the crushed garlic into half of the cold stock and leave it for 10 minutes while you season the meat.
È pronto quando The stock smells strongly of garlic and is slightly cloudy.
-
Season the meat
700 g minced beef300 g minced pork12 g fine salt2 cucchiaino black pepper2 cucchiaino dried thyme1 cucchiaino sweet paprika½ cucchiaino ground corianderPut both minced meats in the bowl with the salt, pepper, thyme, paprika and coriander. Mix with one hand for 2 minutes, squeezing the meat through your fingers.
È pronto quando The spices are evenly spread, with no pockets of paprika, and the meat starts to feel sticky.
-
Dissolve the baking soda
1 cucchiaino baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)200 ml beef stockWhisk the baking soda into the rest of the cold stock until it is fully dissolved.
È pronto quando The liquid fizzes lightly and no white grains settle at the bottom.
Consiglio Undissolved soda leaves bitter, soapy spots in the finished mici.
-
Knead in the stock
200 ml beef stockAdd the garlic stock and the soda stock a splash at a time, kneading hard after each addition. Keep kneading for 8–10 minutes in total.
È pronto quando The paste is soft, sticky and elastic: it stretches and clings to your hand instead of breaking apart.
Consiglio Long kneading binds the proteins; this is what makes mici springy without a casing or egg.
-
Rest overnight
Press cling film onto the surface of the meat and refrigerate for 12 hours, or up to 24 hours.
È pronto quando The paste is firm and cold right through and slightly paler on top.
-
Shape the mici
1 cucchiaio sunflower oilWith oiled hands, roll the paste into sausages about 10 cm long and 2.5 cm thick, about 50 g each. Lay them on an oiled tray and return them to the fridge.
È pronto quando Each roll has a smooth surface with no cracks and keeps its shape on the tray.
Consiglio If the paste sticks to your hands, dip them in cold water between rolls.
-
Heat the grill
Heat the grill to high. For charcoal, wait until the coals are covered in grey ash.
È pronto quando You can hold your hand 10 cm above the grate for only 2–3 seconds.
-
Grill the mici
1 cucchiaio sunflower oilOil the grate and lay the mici across the bars. Grill over high heat for 8–10 minutes, turning a quarter turn every 2 minutes.
È pronto quando They are browned with dark grill marks on all sides and juices bead on the surface.
Consiglio Do not press them with the spatula; you squeeze out the juice that makes them good.
-
Check and rest
Check one in the thickest part with a thermometer: it must reach 71 °C. Move the mici to a warm plate and let them rest for 2 minutes.
È pronto quando The centre is just cooked through, with no pink, and the juices run clear.
-
Serve
100 g mustardServe hot with a generous spoon of mustard on the side.
È pronto quando The mici are glistening and still sizzle faintly when they reach the table.
Errori comuni
The mici are dry and crumbly.
Rimedio The meat was too lean, too warm or not kneaded long enough. Use meat with about 20% fat, keep it cold and knead until the paste is sticky and elastic.
They taste soapy or bitter.
Rimedio Too much baking soda or soda that was not dissolved. Measure it level and dissolve it fully in the stock first.
They fall apart on the grill.
Rimedio The paste was not rested long enough or the grill was not hot. Rest overnight, grill straight from the fridge on a hot, oiled grate, and turn only once they release.
Burnt outside, raw inside.
Rimedio The mici were too thick or the coals too close. Keep them 2.5 cm thick and move them to a cooler part of the grill to finish.
Come servire
Serve on a board with mustard, fresh bread and a cold tomato and cucumber salad. Chips and pickled vegetables are the classic street-stall partners.
Conservazione e riscaldamento
Cooked mici keep 2 days in the fridge, covered. Reheat in a hot pan for 3–4 minutes, turning, until hot right through. Raw shaped mici freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before grilling.
Da preparare in anticipo
The meat must be mixed the day before. Shape the mici up to 4 hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge.
Varianti
With mutton
Replace the pork with the same weight of minced mutton or lamb shoulder for a stronger, more traditional flavour.
Pan-cooked
Cook them in a very hot ridged grill pan brushed with oil, in batches, for the same time. Open a window: they smoke.
Hot
Add 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes or hot paprika to the spices.
