Romanian Garlicky Ground Meat Sausages (Carnatzlach) with Sour Pickle Vinaigrette and Roasted Red Peppers

Name: Romanian Garlicky Ground Meat Sausages (Carnatzlach) with Sour Pickle Vinaigrette and Roasted Red Peppers
Yield: Yield: 4–5 servings
Cuisine: Romania
Ingredients: 1½ pounds lean ground beef (you can substitute ground turkey—the ground thigh meat will work best—with fine results, but you may want to increase the seasoning slightly); ¼—½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or fresh hot but not searing chile to taste (preferably Fresno or Serrano, but Hungarian wax, jalapeño, or other varieties will do fine), roasted (see Cook’s Note), peeled, and finely chopped (be sure to use rubber gloves when preparing); Oil for greasing the broiler rack or pan, if necessary; 2 large red bell peppers, roasted (see Cook’s Note), cut into strips, and seasoned well with salt, pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, and a little vinegar or lemon juice to taste; chopped scallions (both white and green parts); Sour Pickle Vinaigrette; half-sour or garlic dill pickles, sliced lengthwise, and/or dill tomatoes; 1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram; ½ teaspoon ground allspice; 2–3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic, or to taste; 2 teaspoons sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste (you’ll need more if using ground turkey)

Preparation info

Yield:
4–5
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Gefilte Variations

By Jayne Cohen

Published 2000

About

I love pickles, though they never live up to their smell: a sirensong of heady garlic, spicy peppercorns, and other enticing aromatics. Crunchy and cold, they provide refreshing respite from the dryness and density of unsauced meats, especially in sandwiches and simple grills.

Eating carnatzlach, I grew tired of alternating one bite of barbecued meat with a juicy chew of pickle, so I turned the pickle into this sauce.

This garlicky Romanian grill is wonderful anytime,

Ingredients

Europe
Romania
Side dish
Main course
Gluten-free
Eastern Europe
Summer
Jewish

Ingredients

Method