Mici — Grilled Minced Meat Logs

Mici — Grilled Minced Meat Logs

Romanian Non Fasting
Non-Fasting Recipe: This dish contains meat, dairy, or eggs and is intended for feast days and non-fasting periods.

Romania's national grill — small, skinless sausages of beef, pork, and lamb seasoned with garlic,
baking soda, and broth, formed by hand and grilled over coals. The baking soda is the trick:
it makes mici spring to a juicy, snappy interior. Served with mustard, bread, and beer.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (beef, pork, lamb)

SERVINGS: 8 (about 32 mici)
TIME: 45 minutes (plus 12-24 hours chilling)

INGREDIENTS:
- 600 g ground beef (80/20)
- 300 g ground pork (with fat)
- 200 g ground lamb
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
- 100 ml beef broth (cold)
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (the secret ingredient)
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground caraway
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil

For serving:
- Crusty white bread (French or Romanian franzelă)
- Spicy mustard (English or German) — very important
- Sliced raw onions
- Pickled cucumbers
- Cold beer

METHOD:
1. In a large bowl, combine all three meats. Add garlic, baking soda, all spices, and salt.
2. Knead vigorously for 5 minutes, adding cold broth a little at a time. The mixture should become smooth, tacky, and almost paste-like.
3. Drizzle with the sunflower oil (prevents drying) and knead briefly.
4. Cover tightly. Refrigerate at least 12 hours, ideally 24 — the baking soda needs time to work its transformation on the proteins.
5. Before grilling, bring meat to cool room temperature. Wet your hands. Form into small logs, about 8-10 cm long and 2 cm thick. Place on an oiled tray.
6. Build a hot charcoal fire. Grill mici 6-8 minutes total, turning every 2 minutes. They should be deeply browned outside and still juicy inside. Internal temperature 65C (150F).
7. Serve immediately on a platter, piled high, with mustard, bread, onions, and pickles.

NOTES:
- The baking soda is not a mistake. It alters the meat proteins to give mici their unique bouncy texture. Do not omit.
- Romanian grills serve mici by the count — "dai mici" means "give me 10 mici." Plan 4-6 per person.
- Do not grill mici over flame; always over coals. Flame burns the outside before the inside cooks.
- Pair with cold Ursus or Ciucaș beer. Romanian grilling tradition.

NUTRITION (per 4 mici, approximate):
Calories: 460 | Protein: 32 g | Carbohydrates: 2 g | Fat: 36 g | Fibre: 0 g

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