Almost every country has a sausage or two. These skinless Romanian ones are among the easiest, essentially well-seasoned hamburgers that were undoubtedly created in a pinch and are known as “the little sausages without skin” and remain popular today. Note that these contain caraway seeds, one of the distinctive flavorings of Eastern Europe—the Italian variation uses fennel instead. Other cuts of meat you can use here: Ground beef, veal, or a combination.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 1/2 pounds well-ground pork

　　1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon water

　　3 garlic cloves, minced

　　1 egg, lightly beaten

　　1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or hot paprika

　　1 teaspoon caraway seeds

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl. Wet your hands and knead the mixture for about 5 minutes, rewetting your hands if the mixture begins to stick. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 24 hours.

　　

Step 2

When you’re ready to cook, start a charcoal or gas grill or preheat the broiler; the fire should be medium-hot and the rack no more than 4 inches from the heat source. Meanwhile, shape the meat mixture into little sausages, about 3 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Grill or broil the sausages, turning occasionally with a spatula or tongs, until nicely browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.