Sheftalia – a Keto Mediterranean version
Sheftalia could be the most popular thing anyone remembers after visiting Cyprus. It’s even more famous than Halloumi cheese. But don’t think that sausages wrapped in caul fat don’t exist in other European cuisines. The French call it crépinette and they wrap just about any meat in pig caul fat and then grill or roast them. In Cyprus, it’ll depend on the side of the island you landed on, they will be made with a mix of pork and lamb or just pure lamb. Now, even though we are Greeks, in this case, we will give the medal to the Turkish version because Lamb is the healthiest meat on earth. On the other side, pork could be the least healthy meat to choose if you are fighting against inflammation! So, we wanted to make it healthier, KMD and delicious. Did we succeed? Oh boy, did we succeed… 🙂
Sheftalia, the KMD version
We edited the traditional recipe and we did it to the full potential: We care a lot about the flavour and texture, but more than that, we care about the level of healthiness our recipes offer. Let us explain how we fixed this traditional recipe and teleported Sheftalia to our Keto Mediterranean universe.
Here’s what we excluded:
- Pork – On so many occasions we explained why pork and chicken should not be a part of the Keto Mediterranean diet. There are reasons that the meat of the pig becomes more saturated with toxins than other farm animals. In this article, you will find all the details! Let’s just mention, pork offers predominantly omega-6 and almost no omega-3 fatty acids.
- Bread – Who needs bread in sausage when you have eggs? We blame bread in sausages and burgers for making this food unhealthy. Don’t forget, mixing carbohydrates with fat always results in lipogenesis.
Greek goes Keto Sheftelia spice mix
When it comes to culinary art, you simply have to have patience while preparing sheftalia. We went to a local market to get all the fresh ingredients, from meat, and eggs to onion, garlic, parsley, celery and thyme. However, if you live somewhere where there are no farmer’s markets, you can use dried herbs and spices. A good food processor is also important here, but you can also use a blender. After all, it’s all about preparation: You could chop all the ingredients with a sharp knife, but then you’ll spend an hour just chopping the herbs and spices. 😉 Whatever is easier for you! Just remember, Mediterranean cooking is all about sharing and spending time with family and friends. This is, by far, the most important detail of our cuisine!
Let’s get to work…
If you live in the USA and can’t find lamb caul fat, we’ve got you covered 😉
Sheftalia – a Keto Mediterranean version
12
servings10
minutes15
minutes145
kcalIngredients
700 g 1 1/2 lb minced lamb
2 medium 2 eggs
1 medium 1 onion
8 8 cloves garlic
2 tbsp 2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp 1 tbsp 1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp 1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp 1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp 1 tsp red paprika powder
2/3 tsp 2/3 tsp dried oregano
100 ml 3 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
Lamb caul fat (cut into 12 pieces 10×10 cm or 4×4 inch)
1 tbsp 1 tbsp lamb or beef tallow for frying/grilling on a grilling pan
Directions
- Place olive oil, onion, garlic, eggs and all other spices in a processor and process for 40 seconds. Now add the meat and process it at a lower speed.
- Cut lamb caul fat into 12 pieces 10×10 cm. Create small sausages from the meat mixture and place them on each piece of lamb caul fat. Wrap them and tap them on the sides.
- Place some tallow on your grilling pan, a teaspoon will be enough. Preheat the pan to medium-high temperature. Place sheftelia(s) in the pan and fry them for 5 minutes from each side. you can also cover the pan with a lid to speed up the inner cooking.
- You can serve them with tzatziki dip or a bowl of nice Greek salad!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Traditionally, Sheftelias are grilled on a carbon grill. You can also use a gas or an electric grill. However, If you decide to grill them on a regular grill, make sure you turn them often so they don’t burn.
