Cypriot Seftalia in Pita (Σεφταλιά σε Κυπριακή Πίτα)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •charcoal grill with medium-hot and cooler zones
• •wide shallow bowl for soaking caul fat
• •instant-read thermometer
• •small grill basket or flat metal skewers, optional for wide grates

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the caul

   Set the caul fat in a wide bowl with the cold water and lemon juice or vinegar. Leave it for 30 minutes, then rinse it in two changes of cold water until it smells clean and mild. Drain, pat almost dry, and keep it covered so it stays supple. This soak is the kindness here: the caul should melt and baste the pork, not bring a sharp butcher's edge into the pita.

   If the caul fat still smells strong after the first soak, change the water and give it another 15 minutes. Good caul smells faint and clean once rinsed.
2. 2

   Mix the pork

   Put the pork, squeezed onion, 45g parsley, 10g salt, pepper, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix with your hand for about 1 minute, just until the meat looks cohesive and lightly sticky. Don't knead it into paste. If you want certainty, fry a teaspoon of the mixture and taste for salt, then chill the bowl for 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Shape the parcels

   Open the caul fat gently on the work surface and trim away thick knots. Cut 12 pieces, about 12 x 14cm each. Divide the pork into 12 short ovals, 55 to 60g each, set one on the lower third of each caul piece, fold in the sides, and roll once or twice to cover. Trim any heavy overlap. The parcel should be snug, not strangled.

4. 4

   Set the coals

   Light the charcoal and let it settle to medium-hot, with gray ash on the coals and no high flames. You should be able to hold your palm 10cm above the grate for about 4 seconds. Clean the grate and leave one cooler edge for moving parcels away from fat flares.

5. 5

   Grill the seftalia

   Set the seftalia seam side down on the grate. Grill for 14 to 18 minutes, turning every 3 to 4 minutes, until the caul has rendered into browned lacy edges and the centers reach 71C. If flames jump, move the parcels to the cooler edge until the fire settles. The outside should be bronzed and glossy, not blackened.

   Fat dripping onto charcoal is normal. Fire licking the parcels is not. Move them, let the flame die, then continue.
6. 6

   Warm the pitas

   Warm pitas on the cooler edge for 30 to 45 seconds per side, just until pliable and lightly marked. Split each one along the top edge into a pocket. Do not toast them brittle; they need to fold around the hot meat without cracking.

7. 7

   Fill and serve

   Put two seftalia into each pita. Add tomato, cucumber, red onion, parsley leaves, 2g salt divided across the pitas, and a hard squeeze of lemon. Add a pickled green chilli if you like that Cypriot bite. Serve at once, while the caul is crisp at the edges and the pita is still soft.

Chef Tips

• •Buy caul fat from a butcher who sells it fresh or frozen, and ask for enough to trim. It should be pale, thin, and lacy. If it is gray or smells sour after soaking, don't use it.
• •No caul fat means no seftalia. Bacon, sausage casing, and strips of belly make a different thing. Make keftedes in pita that day and name them honestly.
• •Cypriot pocket pita is not the small soft mainland pita used for gyros. It opens like a pocket and holds its shape against juicy meat and salad.
• •The tomato has to be worth eating raw. In winter, use cucumber, onion, parsley, lemon, and pickled chilli, then wait for summer tomatoes. Λίγα και καλά.

Advance Preparation

• •Soak and rinse the caul fat up to 6 hours ahead; keep it covered and chilled so it does not dry.
• •Form the seftalia up to 12 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Set them out for 20 minutes while the coals settle, never longer.
• •Slice the salad vegetables just before serving, and salt them at the last moment so the pita stays firm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 325g)