Sheftalia Recipe (Cypriot Pork Sausages)

A good sheftalia has a browned, lightly crisp wrapper and a juicy center. You do not need a sausage stuffer: the caul fat folds around each small oval by hand. This recipe keeps the pork-and-parsley combination of the original Cooking County version, with a smaller batch and a clear thermometer check. For another Cypriot main dish using pork, explore our kolokasi taro stew.

Ingredients

These quantities make approximately 18 small sausages. Ask a butcher for cleaned, food-grade pork or lamb caul fat; the thin usable sheets matter more than their total packaged weight.

• 2 lb (900 g) ground pork, preferably about 20% fat
• 1 large onion (180 g), very finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, grated and drained to yield ½ cup (100 g) pulp
• ½ cup (25 g) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1½ teaspoons (9 g) fine salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• About 8 oz (225 g) cleaned caul fat, or enough thin sheets to wrap 18 sausages
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
• Warm pita and chopped cucumber, tomato, and onion, for serving (optional)

How to make sheftalia

Have a tray, a clean board, kitchen scissors, tongs, and an instant-read thermometer ready. The estimated 90-minute total includes chilling and the short rest after grilling; light or preheat the grill during the chilling period.

1. Keep the pork refrigerated while you prepare the onion, tomato, and parsley. If the caul fat is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator beforehand; that overnight thaw is additional to the recipe time. Follow the butcher’s handling directions and gently unfold the cleaned sheets on a tray.
2. Combine the cold pork, onion, drained tomato, parsley, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Mix only until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Do not taste the raw mixture.
3. Divide into 18 portions, approximately 65–70 g each, and shape short ovals about 3 inches (7–8 cm) long. Put one at the edge of a thin section of caul fat. Fold the sides inward, roll to enclose the meat, and trim away the excess. Avoid several thick layers.
4. Arrange seam-side down on a tray, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. During this time prepare a grill with a medium direct-heat zone and an unlit or cooler zone. Clean and lightly oil the grate.
5. Grill the sausages, turning carefully every few minutes, for approximately 20–25 minutes. Move them to the cooler zone whenever dripping fat causes sustained flames; return them to moderate heat once the flames settle.
6. Check several sausages by inserting a thermometer sideways into the center. Continue cooking until every checked portion reaches at least 160°F (71°C); color alone is not a reliable test. Larger pieces or a cooler grill may need longer.
7. Transfer to a clean platter and rest for 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and, if desired, warm pita and freshly chopped salad. Keep utensils that touched raw meat away from the cooked sausages.

Buying and handling caul fat

Caul fat is a thin, netlike fatty membrane. It is different from an intestinal sausage casing and does not need to be fed onto a stuffing tube. Ask for a cleaned product and explain that you plan to wrap small sausages. Sheets vary greatly: trim thick deposits and use a piece only large enough to cover each portion with a small overlap.

Keep it cold while working, bringing out a few pieces at a time if the kitchen is warm. A brief soak in cold water may help unfold a tightly packed sheet when the supplier recommends it, but lemon juice is not a disinfectant. Do not wash ground meat. Clean the work surface and your hands after handling the raw pork or wrapper.

How to keep the filling juicy

Use pork with visible fat rather than the leanest mince. Caul fat protects the outside, but it cannot completely compensate for a dry filling. Finely chopped onion spreads through the mixture more evenly than large chunks, and draining the grated tomato prevents liquid from pooling on the tray.

The cinnamon should sit quietly behind the parsley and pork. If you want to check seasoning, fry a tiny sample until it reaches 160°F (71°C), then taste it. Make any adjustment before wrapping. This is a practical way to account for differences in salt brands without tasting raw meat.

Grilling without burning the wrapper

A cooler zone is essential because the wrapper releases fat. If the outside darkens before the center is ready, finish over gentler indirect heat with the lid closed, checking regularly. Do not pour water onto a grease flare-up or crowd every sausage above the hottest coals.

For a charcoal grill, arrange the coals to one side. For a gas grill, leave one burner off. The exact cooking time depends on the size of the ovals and the heat at the grate, so the thermometer result takes priority over the timer. The listed cook time assumes small, evenly shaped pieces.

Serving and other grilled dishes

Serve sheftalia in pita with crunchy vegetables and lemon, or put the sausages on a platter and let everyone build a plate. A sharp, fresh salad balances the rich wrapper. Pita is optional and contains wheat; check packaged accompaniments for other allergens.

For a mixed regional grill, Armenian khorovats offers whole pieces of pork with a different texture. If you prefer an unwrapped ground-meat skewer, see Persian koobideh. Each recipe has its own shaping and cooking method.

Make ahead and store

Keep uncooked sheftalia covered in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or colder and cook within one to two days, following the ground pork’s use-by date if sooner. For longer storage, freeze the raw portions in a single layer and then pack airtight. Thaw in the refrigerator before grilling.

Refrigerate cooked leftovers within two hours, or one hour when the surrounding temperature exceeds 90°F (32°C). Use within three to four days and reheat to 165°F (74°C). These handling limits also apply when the sausages are served at a picnic; a browned wrapper does not make them shelf-stable.

Video reference

This existing video shows another preparation of the dish. Use the written quantities, timing, and method on this page for this version.

Printable recipe card

The card below contains the complete ingredient list, ordered method, and total time, including the waiting stages.

Sheftalia Recipe (Cypriot Pork Sausages)

Recipe by Cooking County

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: Main courseCuisine: CypriotDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Chilling and resting

35

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Cypriot pork sausages wrapped in caul fat, seasoned with onion, parsley and a little cinnamon, then grilled until browned and safely cooked.

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) ground pork, preferably about 20% fat

• 1 large onion (180 g), very finely chopped

• 1 medium tomato, grated and drained to yield ½ cup (100 g) pulp

• ½ cup (25 g) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1½ teaspoons (9 g) fine salt

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• About 8 oz (225 g) cleaned caul fat, or enough thin sheets to wrap 18 sausages

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving

• Warm pita and chopped cucumber, tomato, and onion, for serving (optional)

Directions

• Keep the pork refrigerated while you prepare the onion, tomato, and parsley. If the caul fat is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator beforehand; that overnight thaw is additional to the recipe time. Follow the butcher’s handling directions and gently unfold the cleaned sheets on a tray.
• Combine the cold pork, onion, drained tomato, parsley, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Mix only until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Do not taste the raw mixture.
• Divide into 18 portions, approximately 65–70 g each, and shape short ovals about 3 inches (7–8 cm) long. Put one at the edge of a thin section of caul fat. Fold the sides inward, roll to enclose the meat, and trim away the excess. Avoid several thick layers.
• Arrange seam-side down on a tray, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. During this time prepare a grill with a medium direct-heat zone and an unlit or cooler zone. Clean and lightly oil the grate.
• Grill the sausages, turning carefully every few minutes, for approximately 20–25 minutes. Move them to the cooler zone whenever dripping fat causes sustained flames; return them to moderate heat once the flames settle.
• Check several sausages by inserting a thermometer sideways into the center. Continue cooking until every checked portion reaches at least 160°F (71°C); color alone is not a reliable test. Larger pieces or a cooler grill may need longer.
• Transfer to a clean platter and rest for 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and, if desired, warm pita and freshly chopped salad. Keep utensils that touched raw meat away from the cooked sausages.

Sources

Recipe context and preparation were cross-checked against these references. Cooking County’s version and serving suggestions are described above.

• Kopiaste: Cypriot sheftalia and wrapping method
• Nikolopaa: sheftalia preparation and grilling
• FoodSafety.gov: minimum internal temperatures
• FoodSafety.gov: refrigerated food storage

Frequently asked questions

Can I make sheftalia without caul fat?

You can grill the seasoned meat as small patties, but the result will lack sheftalia’s characteristic wrapper. Do not substitute plastic wrap or another material that is unsafe for cooking.

Can I use some lamb?

Yes, replace half the pork with ground lamb of a similar fat content. The safe minimum temperature for the ground-meat mixture remains 160°F (71°C).