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Abkhazura (Caul-Wrapped Spiced Meat Patties)

Name: Abkhazura (Caul-Wrapped Spiced Meat Patties)
Prep time: 1 h 22 min
Total time: 2 h 27 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: pork shoulder roast — 700 g; boneless beef chuck — 300 g; caul fat — 250 g; onions — 300 g; garlic — 12 g; coriander seed — 10 g; blue fenugreek — 1 g; ajika — 15 g; dried marigold petals — 5 g; salt — 12 g; pomegranate seeds — 80 g; sunflower oil — 28 g

Abkhazura (Caul-Wrapped Spiced Meat Patties) reads umami 7.6, richness 6.7 and fruity 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Georgian main, about 2 hr 27 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.9 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.5 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.7 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.4 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.2 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.6 · Richness 6.7 · Fruity 4.4 · Allium 4.2 · Salinity 3.8 · Sweetness 3.6 · Floral 2.8 · Sourness 2.2 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Nutty 1.7 · Citrus 1.6 · Earthy 1.3 · Bitterness 0.9

What's in it (12)

pork shoulder roast — 700 g
boneless beef chuck — 300 g
caul fat — 250 g
onions — 300 g
garlic — 12 g
coriander seed — 10 g
blue fenugreek — 1 g
ajika — 15 g
dried marigold petals — 5 g
salt — 12 g
pomegranate seeds — 80 g
sunflower oil — 28 g

Time & effort: about 2 hr 27 min (1 hr 22 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 201.6 kcal, 12.7 g protein, 14.8 g fat, 4.2 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Chop the pork and beef by hand into small dice, about 20 minutes of work. The texture should be knobbly, not smooth.
Mix the meat with the grated onion, garlic, coriander, blue fenugreek, ajika, marigold and salt for 5 minutes, until it holds together when squeezed.
Cover and leave in the fridge 1 hour so the spices bloom into the fat.
Soak the caul fat in warm water until it is supple, then spread it out on a board and cut it into rough 18 cm squares. Caul is the lacy membrane from around a pig's stomach; any decent butcher will get it for you with a day's notice, and there is no substitute that behaves the way it does.
Shape the mixture into 12 flattened balls the size of a small egg and wrap each in a square of caul, overlapping the ends underneath.
Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat and sear the parcels seam down for 3 minutes, then turn and sear 3 minutes more, until the caul has caught and turned lacy brown.
Transfer to a 200C oven for 20 minutes. As the caul melts it bastes the meat from the outside, which is why these stay juicy where a plain meatball dries.
Rest 5 minutes and serve scattered with pomegranate seeds, with tkemali or fresh herbs alongside.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar) — Scandinavian
Greek-Style Braised Short Ribs with Cinnamon and Tomato — Greek
Ѓувеч (Gjuveč, Baked Lamb, Pepper and Rice Tray) — Macedonian
Sop Buntut (Oxtail Soup) — Indonesian
Old-Fashioned Beef Stew with Root Vegetables — American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.