Mar 12, 20213 min read

Recipe: Ćevape from Bosnia and Herzegovina

A few years ago, I met an amazing woman named Lejla as we both embarked on getting more involved in politics in the US, and she's become a wonderful friend over the years, and always so supportive of my own political adventures. One thing I remember well about one of the first times I met Lejla was that when we were going around the room introducing ourselves she explained that she and her family had come to the US as refugees from Bosnia when she was a very small child. Lejla's family is very sweet, so supportive of each other and very tight knit, and I know that these days they try to travel back to Bosnia and Herzegovina as often as they can, as they have many extended family members there, and Lejla's little goddaughter lives there as well. I've really enjoyed looking at Lejla's photos she shares when she visits, and she is definitely the reason I was especially excited to explore this amazing country this week.

She was enthusiastic for me to do so as well. When I asked her for a meal recommendation, she said,

"YOU HAVE TO MAKE ĆEVAPE!!!!!! That is an order not a suggestion!!!!"

She did throw in a winky-face emoji at the end to soften the message, but I knew she was serious. I did not second guess her and dove right in to make this delicious dish that is so celebrated in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I believe it is often eaten as street food, but I am guessing any occasion would do, as this level of deliciousness does not discriminate.

Thank you, Lejla, for the delicious recipe inspiration, and for opening my eyes to your beautiful origin country (and for being such a great friend!).

Let's dig in!

This was a very easy meal to make, with few ingredients, but there is one step you need to do 24 hours ahead of time, so be sure to plan just a bit ahead for this dinner.

ĆEVAPE

Prep: 15 Minutes (but one step needs to be done 24 hours in advance)

Cook: 10 Minutes

Ready in: 25 Minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 lbs (or 900-1000 gms) of Ground Beef
1 lb (or 450-500 gms) of Ground Lamb
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Pepper
1 tsp Olive Oil
2 Onions, diced
10-12 ounces (or ~250 gms) of Sour Cream
4-8 Pita, Grilled

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and ground lamb.
Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and fully combine with your hands.
Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Set charcoal grill to medium. If you don't have access to a charcoal grill, a frying pan on the stovetop will also work (and in that case, set to medium heat just before ready to begin cooking).
Shape the meat into 2.5 inch long "fingers" (that should be thick like "thumbs").
Either brush your charcoal grill with oil or use a teaspoon of olive oil in your frying pan.
Grill/Cook for approximately 10 minutes, turning until evenly cooked.
Serve on a plate with a dollop of sour cream, a heaping spoonful of diced, uncooked onions, and grilled pita.

(To grill pita without access to a grill, brush both sides of each pita with oil, and place directly on your oven rack. Broil for 15-45 seconds each side. Watch through your oven door until they puff up into a distinctive pocket.)