Mici

Instructions

1. 1 Combine both ground meats in a large bowl with the baking soda, garlic, paprika, cumin, thyme, caraway, pepper, and salt. Add the beef broth and mix vigorously with your hands for five minutes until the mixture becomes very smooth, sticky, and well bound.
2. 2 Cover the meat mixture and refrigerate for at least four hours, ideally overnight. This rest period allows the baking soda to tenderize the meat, the spices to permeate throughout, and the mixture to firm up for easier shaping on the grill.
3. 3 With wet hands, take walnut-sized portions of the chilled mixture and roll into small cylinders about eight centimetres long and two centimetres thick. Keep your hands wet to prevent sticking. Place the shaped mici on an oiled tray.
4. 4 Preheat a charcoal grill or grill pan to high heat. Brush the grates with oil to prevent sticking. Grill the mici for two to three minutes per side, turning to cook all four sides, until deeply charred with visible grill marks and cooked through.
5. 5 The finished mici should have a crispy, charred exterior with a juicy, tender interior that is well-seasoned throughout. The baking soda creates a slightly springy texture that is characteristic of properly made Romanian grilled rolls.
6. 6 Serve the hot mici immediately with a generous amount of yellow mustard and fresh crusty bread. These skinless grilled meat rolls are Romania's most popular street food, served at every outdoor gathering, festival, and sports event across the country.