Bosnian · main

Sarajevski Ćevapi (Sarajevo Beef Ćevapi with Somun)

Name: Sarajevski Ćevapi (Sarajevo Beef Ćevapi with Somun)
Prep time: 41 min
Total time: 24 h 43 min
Cuisine: Bosnian
Ingredients: boneless beef chuck — 900 g; beef brisket — 300 g; salt — 15 g; baking soda — 3 g; black pepper — 5 g; water — 120 g; somun flatbreads — 720 g; onions — 300 g; kajmak — 300 g

Sarajevski Ćevapi (Sarajevo Beef Ćevapi with Somun) reads umami 6.2, richness 4.6 and allium 3.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Bosnian main, about 24 hr 43 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.6 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 0.7 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.6 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.2 · Richness 4.6 · Allium 3.7 · Salinity 3.5 · Warm Spice 1.7 · Sweetness 1.6 · Earthy 1.3 · Heat 1.0 · Bitterness 1.0 · Sourness 0.7 · Herbaceous 0.7 · Funk & Ferment 0.5

What's in it (9)

boneless beef chuck — 900 g
beef brisket — 300 g
salt — 15 g
baking soda — 3 g
black pepper — 5 g
water — 120 g
somun flatbreads — 720 g
onions — 300 g
kajmak — 300 g

Time & effort: about 24 hr 43 min (41 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 99.4 kcal, 8.9 g protein, 6.5 g fat, 1.2 g carbs

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

How it's cooked (9 steps)

Note what is not on the list. There is no garlic, no egg, no breadcrumb, no paprika and no herb. Sarajevo ćevapi are beef, salt, a little soda, pepper and water, and the discipline of that list is the dish.
Work the two minces with the salt, soda and pepper in a wide bowl for 8 minutes, folding and slapping the mass against the side, until it turns tacky and stretches when you pull a piece away.
Beat in the iced water in three additions over 2 minutes. Cold water keeps the fat from smearing and makes the finished ćevapi juicy.
Cover the surface directly with cling film and leave in the fridge 24 hours. This maturing is what gives the springy bite; skip it and you have grilled mince.
Shape into fingers about 5 cm long and as thick as a thumb, pressing out any air. Traditionally the mass is extruded and cut, so a piping bag with a wide plain nozzle gets you closest.
Grill over hot charcoal for 8 minutes, turning once, until well marked and just firm. They should still give under a finger.
Rest 2 minutes.
Split a somun and put ten ćevapi inside. The bread goes to the table dry in Sarajevo, not brushed with fat or dipped in anything: the fat running out of the ćevapi is what wets it. Chopped raw onion on the side, kajmak if you want it, and no sauce.
Substitutions: short rib meat can stand in for the beef brisket; lepinja flatbreads (180 g each) can stand in for the somun flatbreads.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Kotlet (Persian Meat Patties) — Persian
Leskovački Ćevapi (Leskovac Grilled Minced Fingers) — Serbian
Axoa de Veau — Basque · Iparralde (France)
German Pizza — German
Dyrlægens Natmad (The Veterinarian's Midnight Snack) — Danish

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

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

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