Sarajevski Ćevapi (Beef Rolls)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 1530 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 3
About this dish
Only beef and salt make up these short grilled rolls, with no egg, breadcrumbs, lamb or garlic.
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The texture depends on grinding twice: once through a coarse 15 mm plate, then again through a 4.5 mm plate after the salted meat has spent a full day in the refrigerator. A grinder with both plates is essential equipment, and the rolls cannot be made on the day you decide to cook them. Shaping every roll to a similar length and thickness lets a full pan cook evenly. A thin thermometer pushed in from the side tells more about the center than a browned outside does.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Use trimmed cuts with no more than 25% fat in the combined meat.
Cut to fit the grinder, keep cold and grind once through a 15 mm plate.
- 2
Mix the 20 g salt evenly into the meat.
Place in a clean covered container and refrigerate at 0-4°C for 24 hours.
- 3
Turn and mix the chilled meat a few times, then grind through a 4.5 mm plate.
Divide into 40 portions and shape firmly into short cylinders about 8 cm long and 2 cm across.
- 4
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and add ten rolls with space between them.
Turn regularly for about 8-10 minutes, continuing until a thin thermometer inserted from the side reads at least 72°C in the center.
- 5
Cook the remaining three batches the same way, keeping uncooked meat refrigerated.
Transfer cooked rolls to a clean plate and serve warm, ten per person.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- Sarajevski Ćevapi Product Specification, 2023
Sarajevske Ćevabdžije Association / Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina · Checked: 2026-09-07
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart
USDA FSIS · Checked: 2026-09-07