Shefatlies - Cypriot Sausages

INGREDIENTS
500g panna (caul fat)
1kg pork mince
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
2 brown onions, finely cut
1 large bunch/2 cups parsley, finely cut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2 cups white vinegar and 3-4 lemons to clean the panna

METHOD
1. Rinse and wash the panna with vinegar and lemon 5-6 times until the water runs clear. Drain and leave in a bowl ready to use.
2. In another large bowl, add the pork mince, breadcrumbs, white onions, parsley, cinnamon, seasoning and mix with your hands until well combined.
3. Grab a piece of panna, place it on a chopping board and open it up gently, checking for any holes. Grab a large tablespoon of mincemeat and shape into an oval sausage and place on the corner of the panna. Roll and tuck in one and a half times, cut round the sheftalia and tuck any loose bits under. Place your sheftalia on a plate or tray.
4. Repeat with the remaining mince mixture.
5. If you’re preparing these in advance, they can chill in the fridge for up to two days or freeze them until you want to eat them. Defrost before cooking.
6. If you’re cooking these on the karvouna (charcoal), place them on a grill but not too low to the heat. You want them to cook slowly otherwise you could overcook the outside before the inside is cooked. If you’re cooking them in a grill pan on a stovetop, cook them on a medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes and enjoy with Cypriot pitta bread.

A traditional Cypriot pork sausage with a lot of onion, parsley and cinnamon, wrapped in caul fat and cooked over charcoal. Caul fat, which we call ‘panna’ is also known as lace fat. You can get it from your local butcher. It renders as the sheftalia cooks and gives the Cypriot sausage its unique, juicy flavour.
 
I’ve made mine ahead of Easter Sunday so they’re ready to just pop on the karvouna (charcoal).

Funny story, mum packed me a care package with leftover souvla and sheftalies when we were flying back from London last year, (I can’t stand plane food.) As soon as I opened up the box of sheftalies, the entire plane could smell them. Ezilepsan ouloi tous 😆. Song on the video is “Agies I Kathimerines” by Michalis Hatzigiannis. I’ve also saved it on my Greek Spotify playlist; link on my Instagram my bio.

My recipe makes about 30 sheftalies.