Caul Wrapped Sausages (Σεφταλιά)

These are wonderful home made patties or sausages. Everyone makes them differently but I love mine with an overdose of parsley and onions. They are wrapped in panna or caul, the fine lining of the pig’s intestine marbled with fat,available at all good Greek butchers. It gives a wonderful moist texture to the sheftali because as it is cooking on the barbecue, the fat melts all its deliciousness into the sausage…Serve with wedges of juicy lemon. My children love these tucked into warm pitta bread with LOTS of jucy squeezes of lemon. All is quiet for some blissful moments!

If you can’t buy caul, use finer minced pork which will hold its shape and proceed as above but, they will need basting with olive oil as required to keep them moist.

Ingredients

• 1kg of coarsely minced pork
• 4 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 large bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• salt, pepper and ground cinnamon to season
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 bag of panna or caul

Method

1. Place the pork, onions, parsley and seasoning in a large bowl, work together well. Add the lemon juice and mix again.
2. Take about a tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a sausage shape. Don’t forget damp hands make for less sticky rolling.
3. Cut a rectangular piece of panna, lay on a board, place the sausage in the middle then fold the panna in and around.
4. Make sure your coals are well prepared and glowing. Barbecue the sheftalia for around about 15-20 minutes. Cook gently, slightly away from the heat so they cook right through without burning on the outside. Alternatively cook under a medium heat grill.