Mici în Sos de Bere

Mici în Sos de Bere

Recipes with Mici

Mici braised in a beer and onion sauce until the liquid reduces to a thick glaze. A winter version of a summer food: the grill is put away, the pot comes out, and the result is closer to a stew than a street food. Serve with polenta or mashed potato.

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

35 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

  • 12 mici
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 3 medium onions, sliced into half-rings
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 330ml Romanian lager (e.g., Ursus or Timișoreana)
  • 200ml beef broth
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Polenta or mashed potato to serve
  • Muștar to serve

Steps

1

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over high heat. Brown the mici in batches, turning to colour all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside. The browning is not about cooking through; it is about building the crust that flavours the sauce.

2

Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions to the fat left in the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deep golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

3

Add the paprika and thyme, stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the beer and let it boil for 2 minutes to cook off the bitterness of the raw alcohol.

4

Add the broth and bay leaf. Return the mici to the pan in a single layer. The liquid should come about halfway up the mici. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

5

Uncover and raise the heat to medium. Cook for 8–10 minutes, turning the mici twice, until the sauce thickens to a glaze that coats the back of a spoon. Discard the bay leaf.

6

Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper. Serve the mici with polenta or mashed potato, the sauce spooned over, and muștar on the side for those who want it.

Tips

Use a Romanian or Eastern European lager for this recipe. The bitterness of heavily hopped craft beer upsets the balance of the sauce. Ursus, Timișoreana, or a standard Czech Pilsner all work. The finished sauce should taste of caramelised onion and meat first, beer second.