AI-generated image
Abkhazura
Spiced mince in caul fat
Abkhazura: spiced minced meat with barberries wrapped in caul fat and grilled
Abkhazura is a feast dish from Samegrelo and the old Abkhazian borderlands, still on the menu of Zugdidi restaurants: finely chopped beef and pork, seasoned with onion, garlic, dried barberries, hot pepper and herbs, wrapped in thin, lacy caul fat and grilled over coals or fried until crisp outside and juicy inside. This contains pork. Served with tkemali and raw onion rings. A common mistake is using lean mince, which makes the patties dry; the fat is what keeps them succulent. Chef's tip: soak caul fat in warm salted water for 10 minutes so it softens and stretches without tearing. Minced meat must reach 71 °C in the middle.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the mince
- 14 oz beef mince20% fat
- 10 ½ oz pork mince
- 1 oniongrated and squeezed dry
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tbsp dried barberries
- 1 ½ tsp khmeli-suneli
- 1 tsp hot paprika
- ½ oz fresh corianderfinely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For wrapping
- 10 ½ oz pork caul fatsoaked in warm salted water
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
To serve
- 6 tbsp tkemali sauce
- 1 red onionsliced into rings
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (7)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz beef mince, 10 ½ oz pork mince, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp dried barberries, 1 ½ tsp khmeli-suneli, 1 tsp hot paprika, ½ oz fresh coriander, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and knead for 3 minutes, until sticky. Chill for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Shape into 8 oval patties about 10 cm long.
Step 3: Spread 10 ½ oz pork caul fat on a board and cut into 8 squares. Wrap each patty in one layer, trimming excess. Common mistake: wrapping thickly; it stays chewy.
Step 4: Heat a griddle or barbecue to medium-hot and brush with 1 tbsp sunflower oil. Cook for 10–12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, until the caul is crisp and golden and the centre reads 160°F.
12 minStep 5: Rest for 3 minutes and serve with 6 tbsp tkemali sauce and 1 red onion.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 42 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does abkhazura take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy
Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.
Indian