Sheftalia - Caul Fat Pork Sausages

3 from 2 votes

Sheftalia - Caul Fat Pork Sausages

Sheftalies are delicious pork sausages wrapped in caul fat. A very filling meat dish flavored with cumin, and served with pita bread and tomato salad.

Prep Time45

Cook Time35

Course: Main Course, Meze

Cuisine: Cypriot, International

Keyword: grilled, Pork

Servings:

Calories: 237kcal

Ingredients

600 grams (21 ounces) caul fat preferably from pork, lamb works too
200 ml white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

For The Sheftalies:

500 grams (17.6 ounces) ground pork
150 grams (1 medium-sized) onion chopped
50 grams (1.7 ounce) crustless stale bread
5 tablespoons chopped parsley
1½ teaspoon salt
⅔ teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin

To Serve With:

2 medium-sized tomatoes diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 small onion chopped
1½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
lemon in quarters
pita bread

Instructions

Prepare the caul fat. The night before soak the caul fat in 1 liter of water together with 200 ml white wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. The next day rinse and place the fat in a strainer to drain.
Prepare the tomato salad. In a bowl mix together the diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 small chopped onion, fresh lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil. Allow to marinate in the fridge while you prepare the sheftalies.
Soak the stale bread in a bowl with water for 30 minutes. Then squeeze it in your fists to remove the water.
Mix the ground pork together with the onion, the soaked bread, parsley, 1½ teaspoon salt, ⅔ teaspoon ground pepper, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, and ground cumin. Knead the mixture for 3 minutes.
Marinate in the fridge for 2 hours.
Shape the ground pork mixture into 9 egg-shaped meatballs.
Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F. Or prepare a charcoal grill.
Prepare the Sheftalia. Cut a piece of caul fat to about 15 cm (6-inch) wide. Lay it flat on your working surface. Place a meatball at the bottom. Fold the edges over the meatball and then roll it upwards once. To form a small package coated with one to two layers of fat. Then slice off the remaining fat from the top. Repeat the process for the remaining Sheftalia.
To cook in the oven: Coat a sheet pan or your oven's tray pan with aluminum foil. This will be placed under the Sheftalia to collect all the dripping fat. Place the Sheftalia on your oven's rack or use an oven-safe cooling rack. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until they get a nice brown color all over.
To cook on a charcoal grill: You can thread the Sheftalia on metal skewers to grill more easily. Otherwise, try to use a grilling rack that doesn't have too wide openings. Also, don't place too close to the heat. Cook the Sheftalia for about 20 minutes turning frequently so it won't burn.
Serve with pita bread, tomato salad, and fresh lemons to squeeze on top.

Nutrition