Old-style Greek sheftalia sausage is perfect for the grill
Sheftalia is an old-style Greek sausage that is cooked on a charcoal grill.
Trevor Bolerjack used a mixture of pork butt and lamb shoulder to create it. He served it over jasmine rice and then paired it with a Greek salad that was dressed with a simple lemon vinaigrette.
The flavors go well together, and sheftalia is fairly easy to make. Mix the ingredients with the meat and form it into oval shapes.
“Make sure that your meat is packed tight when you roll it into an oval shape or it will fall apart on the grill,” Bolerjack says.
It’s also a good idea to use a cooking spray on the grill so the meat doesn’t stick. Because of the fat in the meat, it’s likely that the grilling will produce some flames. That should not be a concern, as long as the sausages remain only slighted charred.
About the chef
Trevor Bolerjack is a third-semester culinary student at Johnson County Community College and an apprentice at the Sheraton Overland Park hotel.
Sheftalia With Jasmine Rice and Greek Salad
Makes 6 servings
For the sheftalia:
1 pound ground pork butt
1 pound ground lamb shoulder
1 medium-sized white onion, cut to 1/8-inch dice
1 bunch parsley, leafs picked from stems, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
For roasted grape tomatoes:
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the rice:
3 cups jasmine rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the Greek salad:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice, plus juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup thinly julienned red onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup celery hearts
1/2 cup green leaf lettuce
1/2 cup red leaf lettuce
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup finely diced kalamata olives
For the mint-parsley oil:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parsley, stems removed
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons labneh (a fresh Middle Eastern cheese, available at specialty grocery stores) or Greek yogurt, divided, for garnish
To make the sheftalia: Heat charcoal grill and allow the coals to burn down to medium heat.
In large mixing bowl, combine ground meats, onion, parsley and pepper. Mix with clean hands or a spatula until evenly incorporated throughout. Divide mixture into 3- to 4-ounce balls and roll them into oval shapes.
Spray the grill with nonstick spray and grill the sausages over charcoal, turning frequently until all sides of the sausages are brown and slightly charred.
Once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, remove sheftalia from the grill.
To make the roasted tomatoes: Toss tomatoes in olive oil and place in 400-degree oven for 10 minutes, or until skin is blistered and starts to peel away from fruit.
To make the rice: Place the rice in a sieve and rinse with cold water until water runs clear and thoroughly drain.
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan, and add garlic, cooking until until fragrant. Add rice and water. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover for about 15 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
To make the Greek salad: In a small bowl slowly whisk olive oil into lemon juice to make vinaigrette.
In another small bowl, soak the red onion in lemon juice for 10 minutes.
Roughly chop all of the greens, red onion, red pepper, feta and olives with vinaigrette.
To make mint-parsley oil: In blender or food processor combine parsley, mint, red pepper and salt and pepper; blend until well emulsified.
To serve: Using a 1/4 cup measure, mold rice and place in center of plate. Cut 1 sheftalia on a bias and place on top of rice. Place Greek salad on top of sheftalia and add tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of labneh per plate; drizzle each serving with 1 tablespoon mint-parsley oil; reserve the rest for another use and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Per serving: 868 calories (48 percent from fat), 46 grams total fat (12 grams saturated), 84 milligrams cholesterol, 84 grams carbohydrates, 28 grams protein, 151 milligrams sodium, 4 grams dietary fiber.
This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 2:00 AM with the headline "Old-style Greek sheftalia sausage is perfect for the grill."