Cypriot · Dinner

Sheftalia (Cypriot sausage pitas)

Name: Sheftalia (Cypriot sausage pitas)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Cypriot
Ingredients: 1 pound ground pork, 80-percent lean; 1 pound ground lamb; 1 medium red onion, very finely chopped; 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 pound fresh pork or lamb caul fat, kept refrigerated; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 6 large Cypriot or pocketless pitas; 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped; 1 English cucumber, chopped; 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon sumac; 2 lemons, cut in wedges

Charcoal-style pork and lamb sausages with onion, parsley, coriander, and black pepper, wrapped in caul fat and tucked into pita with salad and lemon.

About 1 hr 30 minTotal

About 1 hrActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

Any sound outdoor grill works; a hot cast-iron skillet is the indoor fallback.
Best everyday gas grill
Weber Spirit E-310 Gas Grill · 1500788
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Any sound outdoor grill works; a hot cast-iron skillet is the indoor fallback.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the Recipe's direct-heat grilling method, three-burner control, primary cooking area, cast-iron grates, current Weber part 1500788, warranty, ownership burden, and exact Amazon identity. Kwilt has not cooked on this grill.
Weber Spirit E-310 Gas Grill · 1500788: Three independently ignited burners and 360 square inches of primary grate space provide enough controllable direct heat for a family batch of burgers without requiring a larger premium grill. Trade-off: It is a major purchase, requires outdoor space and a separately purchased propane tank, and gas does not provide the same smoke character as charcoal.
Another workable path: Use any safe outdoor grill with enough clean grate area for uncrowded burgers, or cook them in batches on a preheated cast-iron skillet indoors.
Sources
Weber Spirit E-310 specifications
Weber model 1500788 parts registry
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

1 pound ground pork, 80-percent lean
1 pound ground lamb
1 medium red onion, very finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound fresh pork or lamb caul fat, kept refrigerated
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 large Cypriot or pocketless pitas
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 English cucumber, chopped
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sumac
2 lemons, cut in wedges

Instructions

Mix pork, lamb, chopped onion, 3/4 cup parsley, salt, pepper, and coriander gently until just cohesive. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes while cleaning the caul fat.
In a sanitized sink bowl, rinse caul fat in several changes of very cold water, soak 10 minutes in cold water with vinegar, rinse again, and pat dry. Keep chilled and sanitize the sink and tools immediately after handling.
Shape meat into 18 short 2-ounce logs. Cut caul into pieces that wrap each log one and a half times; roll snugly, tuck the sides, and place seam-side down. Keep refrigerated until the grill is ready.
, away from open flames, turning only after the caul releases, until evenly browned and the centers reach 160°F, 12 to 15 minutes. Move pieces away from flare-ups as fat renders.
Warm pitas. Toss tomatoes, cucumber, sliced onion, remaining parsley, and sumac; fill each pita with three sheftalia, salad, and lemon juice from the wedges.

CyprusCypriot household and grill cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Sheftalia are Cypriot fresh sausages of seasoned pork and lamb wrapped in caul fat rather than casing, then grilled until the wrapper renders and browns around a juicy center.

Caul fat is the lacy membrane surrounding an animal's organs and is essential to sheftalia's self-basting texture and identity. It requires advance ordering from a butcher. If it is unavailable, make the roster's beef kofta instead of relabeling an ordinary casing sausage as sheftalia. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Prefer three regional authorities over weak star data, preserve caul fat without pretending it is easy to source, and give this cuisine anchor an explicit alternate-recipe exit rather than an inauthentic substitution.

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