Şeftali kebab (Cypriot beef and lamb sausage)

Şeftali kebab (pronounced 'shef-ta-lee') is a beautifully seasoned Cypriot beef and lamb sausage wrapped generously in lamb caul fat. The sausages are called sheftalia in Greek and made in a similar way, but pork may be substituted in the place of beef.

The caul fat keeps the sausage meat juicy and tender, while forming a crispy, lightly charred outer shell that absorbs all the smoky charcoal aromas. Sweet cinnamon and earthy herbs like cumin and oregano mingle with onion and parsley, adding depth to the sausage’s flavour.

The sausages can be a little fiddly to make, but they’re well worth the effort. They can be made in large quantities as in this recipe and frozen for use in multiple future barbecues. You can also divide the recipe in half if you want to make less.

If you're making şeftali kebab alongside other barbecued meats, it's best to cook them last. The melting fat can extinguish the coals before the sausages are fully cooked. They’re best grilled over medium-hot coals rather than hot ones, so waiting works in your favour.

Please note that şeftali kebab should not be prepared in home grills as the fat will be hazardous and you won’t achieve the same results. It's not recommended to prepare the sausages in the oven either as the fat doesn’t melt the same way as it would over charcoal and you won't get the crispy charred finish.

Şeftali kebab is best served with pitta bread and onion salad, along with a generous squeeze of lemon.

Makes 14-16 sausages | Preparation time: 30 minutes | Cooking time varies according to coal temperature | Additional time: 1 hour for preparing the caul fat

Ingredients

For the lamb caul fat
​500g lamb caul fat	​100ml malt vinegar
​½ tsp salt	​Water, to cover
​1-2 lemons, cut in half for rubbing
For the sausage filling
250g minced beef	​1 tsp dried oregano
250g minced lamb	​¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 medium onions, finely chopped	​¼ tsp ground cumin
​50g parsley, finely chopped	​¼ tsp whole cumin, rubbed firmly between your palms to release the flavour
​1 tsp ground black pepper	​1 tsp salt, or as desired

Method

Lamb caul fat preparation

1. Wash the lamb caul fat well with cold water before adding to a bowl with the malt vinegar and salt. Top up with cold water and mix well with your hands, before covering with cling film and placing in the fridge for 1 hour. 

   
   

2. Drain off the water from the lamb caul fat and wash again, before rubbing all over with the cut lemons. Strain the lamb caul fat well.

Preparing the sausage filling

1. Combine all the sausage filling ingredients and knead until smooth and well blended - it should be like a soft dough.

   
   

2. To make each sausage, take about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling and form a lemon shape roughly 2.5 x 10 cm in size between your palms. Once all the sausages are shaped, follow the instructions below to wrap them.

   
   
   
   

   

Wrapping the sausages

1. Cut the caul fat into a rough 15 x 15 cm square and stretch it out on a flat surface. Try to use areas of the caul fat which are lighter and net-like rather than heavy and thick with fat, otherwise this won’t cook easily. Place the sausage filling 3  cm in from the left edge and 2.5  cm from the top and bottom edges.

   
   

   

   
   

2. Fold the caul fat over from the left to cover the sausage filling.

   
   

   

   
   

3. Fold the caul fat over from the top and bottom like an envelope.

   
   

   

   
   

4. Roll the sausage inwards until you reach the end - the sausage filling should be wrapped approximately twice by the fat and smoothed over firmly. Trim any excess.

   
   

   

Cooking the sausages

1. Place the sausages in a metal barbecue grilling basket to hold them in place and make turning easier.

   
   

2. Cook the sausages over medium-hot coals to allow them to cook slowly without burning the fat. Cooking over very hot coals can cause the fat to catch fire.

   
   

3. Turn regularly until the sausages are cooked through. They're best cooked until the fat is crispy and slightly charred, as this prevents them from feeling heavy to eat - but you can cook them less if you prefer.

   
   

4. Serve with an onion-based kebab salad, pitta bread and a generous squeeze of lemon.