• Flat grill
OR
• Small Souvlakia Skwers
OR
• Rotating grill
• A piece of caul fat – around 300-400g – keep it chilled.
• Ground (minced) pork and lamb – the combination of the two makes for a splendid flavour.
• Cinnamon – a little cinnamon goes a long way and brings out the sweetness of the meat
• Onion – acts as a backbone of flavour, plus helps tenderise and keep the meat even juicier.
• Parsley – gives a light grassy note
• Pepper flakes – We use milder
• Aleppo pepper for a little peppery hit.
• Breadcrumbs – will bind the meat a little and soak up and retain some of the juices when cooking. MORE juicy!!
• Salt & pepper – IMPORTANT! Season generously, around 1tsp.
Step 1: Firstly, combine all the ingredients of the sausage mixture and set aside.
Step 2: Next, remove the cold caul fat, carefully unravel a piece, and lay it flat. It often appears to go on forever!
Step 3: Roll a small ball (ping pong size) of the meat and then form a short sausage. Pop it at the edge of the caul fat and roll until you have one layer of fat around the sausage. Next, use a sharp knife to cut around the caul fat then seal the sausage both ends by wrapping in the caul fat. It will stick to itself.
Step 4: Repeat this for all your sausages. If you have any caul fat left, wrap in plastic and freeze. It’ll be good for months in the freezer. Defrost when you want to next use it.
Step 5: Get your souvla braai nice and hot
Step 6: While your souvla braai is getting hot, either skewer your meat using the small souvlakia skewers or into your rotating grill, or you can place them straight onto the flat grill. Remember to turn them over if you are using the flat grill.
Step 7: Once your souvla braai is at a good temperature, cook your sheftalia for 8-10 minutes until they’re brown and crisp all over. The fat will melt so you might get quite a lot of flare ups, but it’s all flavour!
Step 8: Serve and enjoy some Cypriot Sheftalia!
