Mititei or mici is a traditional Romanian dish of grilled ground meat rolls made from a mixture of beef, lamb, and pork with spices, such as garlic, black pepper, thyme, coriander, anise, savory, and sometimes a touch of paprika. Since I am in a region where lamb meat is scarce or is hard to find/buy, I needed to find a version of mici that did not need the lamb. I was able to find a recipe that just required beef and although it was a little time consuming to make it was something that everyone seemed to enjoy.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed into a paste
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crumbled
- 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika (hot or sweet(your choice)
- 1 teaspoon caraway seed
- salt & freshly ground black pepper