Romanian Grilled Minced Meat Rolls
Mici, or mititei, are the soul of any Romanian barbecue — little rolls of minced meat seasoned with garlic and spices, grilled over coals until they take on that fragrant crust. Legend has it they were born in a 19th-century Bucharest tavern that ran out of sausage casings and grilled the seasoned meat as it was. Since then they have become street food, fairground food and picnic food — and on 1 May (Labour Day), the smell of mici on the grill is practically the smell of the holiday across the whole country. Every grill cook guards their own spice mix. The secret of their texture lies in the baking soda and the cold rest, which bind the mixture and keep it juicy.
King of the grill
Unmissable at the 1 May barbecue
It's all in the spices
Garlic, thyme, coriander and allspice
Mustard and bread
The classic pairing, no exceptions
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500g minced beef (fattier cut)
- 250g minced pork
- 100g minced lamb (optional)
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp sweet paprika (optional)
- 100ml cold bone broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
How to make it
- 1Mix the minced meats thoroughly with the crushed garlic, baking soda, thyme, coriander, paprika, salt and pepper, then work in the cold bone broth gradually, kneading until the mixture turns sticky and uniform.
- 2Cover and chill for a few hours, ideally overnight — the baking soda and the rest are what give that characteristic juicy texture.
- 3With wet hands, shape cylinders about 8 cm long.
- 4Grill them over hot charcoal, turning often, until browned all over and cooked through.
- 5Serve at once with mustard, fresh bread and pickles.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
