Burgers from the Balkans - čevapčiči

I am learning that BBQ is traditional for memorial weekend. So it is time to pay tribute to čevapčiči or ćevapi, as they are commonly called in Serbia and Bosnia, where they consider them a national dish. Chances are you have heard of Korean BBQ, and chances are that you have not heard of Serbian BBQ. Which is unfortunate, the pleskavica burgers, simply have no competition, period.

Čevapčiči and pljeskavica are pretty much the same dish, just that the meat is shaped differently. But first, how does one pronounce it? Chevapchichi is my best guess for transliteration. To hear the pronunciation and to see what I believe is a traditional way to make them, there is always a YouTube video available. Note, the comments in that video are embarrassing, it will take forever to forget the wars in the past.

One can get very wrapped up in a debate about what kind of meat to use. For example, in Muslim parts, minced pork would definitely not be a good candidate. My favorite combination is to combine ground beef, ground pork, and ground lamb, one part each. But sometimes one doesn't have the three kinds of meat available, or maybe you want to make čevapčiči a bit leaner. Using just ground beef will do just fine.

I used 2lb of 85% lean ground grassfed beef. I added one finely minced onion, a 3-4 minced garlic cloves, and a bunch of spices. Note that my spices are anything but traditional! I use about 2 tablespoons of each korean chili, california chili, ancho chili, and ground cumin. I also added about 1 tablespoon of ground coriander, and around 1 tablespoon of salt. I have learned that adding a bit of liquid helps with the mixing and also with cooking - I usually add a few tablespoons of water and a bit of vegetable oil. Mix it all up well and you get a mixture looking like a well seasoned hamburger.

The one and only way to make sure you seasoned the meat well is to make a small patty and pan fry it in a small pan. It will only take a minute or so per side, and it totally worth doing. Correct the seasoning if needed, but remember you cannot take spices away, so it is better to start with less salt and then you can add more if you wish.

Next, let us shape the meat into a small rolls. Having your hands wet will help prevent the meat from sticking to your hands and the shaping will be easier. For one čevapčiči roll you need a few tablespoons of meat - try out and you'll see what works for you. Making čevapčiči too large will make cooking harder, so going on a small side is just fine. I think I made them too large this time :)

At this point you can let the meat rest for a while, or let it in your fridge for a day. If you kept čevapčiči rolls in the fridge, let them warm up to the room temperature, it will help them cook more evenly. That will help the flavor, but you can also cook čevapčiči right away. Preheat your grill, set the heat on medium and cook them about 3-4 minutes per side. The time really depends on the size of čevapčiči rolls, temperature of the meat, and your grill. If you grill is too hot you will burn the meat on the outside and have it raw in the middle. The same can be the case if the meat is too cold.

I like my steaks medium rare, but minced meat I cook well done, and create juiciness by adding spices, onion, and liquid to the meat. It's all about salmonela and other nasty bacteria. On the steak, these will grow on the top of the meat, so grilling will kill them. For ground meat, it is all mixed up, so the bacteria may be everywhere, so the only way too cook it is to make the meat well done. Or to use sous vide, which I have not tried yet for cevapcici, but I do intend to.

Back at home we would consume čevapčiči with ajvar and kajmak and vegetables. And some crusty bread, of course. If we made them in the patty form, they would be called pljeskavica, which just had to be eaten in a special bun called lepinja. Here in the US, ajvar is very easy to get, kajmak is possible but harder, so you can recreate the exeprience if you wish. Or you use them as a meat part of your dish. For example, last time I added čevapčiči to gnocchi in tomato sauce, and the result floored our Korean friend.