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Spiedini di carne misti are Italian mixed meat skewers built from three proteins, usually pork, beef, and sausage, threaded with pancetta, bread cubes, and bay leaves, then grilled over direct heat until the edges char and the fat renders.
This is a Roman and southern Italian standby, the kind of dish home cooks put together with whatever cuts happen to be in the fridge. I use pork shoulder, beef sirloin, and mild Italian sausage here because the fat content is different across the three, and that difference matters once the skewers hit the grate.
The bread cubes are not filler. They sit between the pancetta-wrapped chunks and soak up rendered fat and juice as everything cooks, ending up crisp outside with a soft, greasy center. Don’t skip them.
One real risk with these skewers: the sausage rounds are ground meat, so they need a higher internal temperature than the whole-muscle pork and beef. I check the thickest sausage piece with an instant-read thermometer and pull everything once it reads 71C/160F.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Three meats and pancetta on one skewer for layered smoky flavor
- Bread cubes soak up rendered fat instead of going to waste
- Marinade comes together in 10 minutes with pantry staples
- Grills in under 15 minutes once the coals are ready
Ingredient Notes
- pork shoulder: Gives the marinade something fatty to cling to. Boneless chicken thigh works as a leaner swap, cut to the same size.
- beef sirloin: A lean cut that stays tender on quick, high heat. Flank steak or skirt steak also work if cut against the grain.
- Italian sausage: Mild fresh sausage, sliced into rounds rather than left whole, so it cooks at the same pace as the meat cubes.
- pancetta: Wraps around the bread cubes and renders as it grills. Thin-sliced bacon works if pancetta isn’t available.
- bay leaves: Fresh bay leaves char and perfume the meat next to them. Dried leaves work but give less aroma on the grill.
- country bread: Use a sturdy loaf that can hold its shape on the skewer. Day-old bread actually soaks up fat better than fresh.
- olive oil: Carries the garlic, rosemary, and lemon zest into the meat. Use a mid-range olive oil here, not your best finishing bottle.
- red wine vinegar: Cuts through the fat in the marinade. White wine vinegar or a squeeze of extra lemon juice both work as substitutes.
Spiedini di Carne Misti: Grilled Mixed Meat Skewers
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the pork shoulder and beef sirloin into 3 cm / 1.25-inch cubes. Slice the Italian sausage into 2.5 cm / 1-inch rounds and cut the bread into 3 cm cubes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Add the pork and beef cubes to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or in the fridge up to 4 hours.
- Wrap each bread cube with a half-slice of pancetta.
- Thread 8 skewers, alternating pork cubes, beef cubes, a bay leaf, sausage rounds, and pancetta-wrapped bread cubes. Leave a small gap between pieces so heat reaches all sides.
- Heat the grill to medium-high, about 200C/400F, and oil the grates well.
- Lay the skewers on the grill and cook for 12 to 15 minutes total, turning every 3 minutes, until the pork and beef are browned on all sides and the pancetta has crisped.
- Check the thickest sausage round with an instant-read thermometer. Pull the skewers once it reads 71C/160F.
- Rest the skewers for 3 minutes, then serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.
Notes
- Marinate meat at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours in the fridge.
- Check sausage internal temp, not pork or beef, before pulling skewers.
- Leave small gaps between pieces so heat reaches all sides.
- Soak wooden skewers 30 minutes if not using metal ones.
Tips for Success
- Cut all the meat into similar 3 cm cubes so everything finishes cooking at the same time.
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes if you’re not using metal ones, so they don’t scorch.
- Pat the meat dry before threading so the marinade caramelizes instead of steaming on the grill.
- Leave a small gap between pieces on the skewer so heat reaches all sides evenly.
- Check the sausage rounds with a thermometer, not the pork or beef, since ground meat needs 71C/160F.
Variations
- Swap the pork for boneless chicken thigh, cut into cubes, if you want a lighter skewer with the same technique.
- Use fresh Italian sausage with fennel seed instead of mild sausage for a more assertive, anise-tinged bite.
- Add wedges of red onion or bell pepper between the meat for a more traditional street-market look.
Storage and Reheating
Cooked spiedini keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Let them cool to room temperature before covering so the bread cubes don’t turn soggy.
Reheat in the oven at 180C/350F for 8 to 10 minutes, covered loosely with foil, until warmed through. A hot skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, also works and keeps some crisp edges on the pancetta.
Skip the microwave. It turns the pancetta rubbery and dries out the sausage rounds fast. If you want to prep ahead, thread the raw skewers up to a day early and grill them fresh.
Serving Suggestions
Spiedini di carne misti do well with something to soak up the rendered fat, so grilled bread or a pile of soft polenta both work at the table.
A simple green salad with lemon and olive oil cuts through the richness, and white beans dressed warm with garlic and olive oil make a solid, low-effort side.
Set out lemon wedges for squeezing over the skewers right before eating, and pour a light red like Chianti alongside if you’re serving this for dinner rather than a backyard cookout.
FAQ
Why did my spiedini di carne misti turn out dry?
Dry skewers usually mean the beef or pork sat on the grill too long after the sausage hit temperature. Pull the skewers as soon as the thickest sausage round reads 71C/160F, since pork and beef cubes cook through faster and dry out if left waiting for the sausage to catch up.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of pork shoulder in spiedini di carne misti?
Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs work well and keep a similarly juicy texture. Cut them into the same 3 cm cubes and thread them the same way, but check them separately with a thermometer since chicken needs to reach 74C/165F, higher than the 71C/160F target for the sausage.
Can I assemble spiedini di carne misti the night before I grill them?
Yes, thread the skewers up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge until grilling time. The marinade keeps working on the pork and beef overnight, so pull them out 20 minutes before cooking to take the chill off before they hit the grill.
What sides go with spiedini di carne misti?
Grilled bread, a green salad with lemon, or white beans dressed with olive oil all work well alongside these skewers. I also like roasted potatoes or grilled peppers, since both stand up to the smoky pancetta and rendered fat from the meat.
Is spiedini di carne misti gluten free?
Not as written, since the bread cubes threaded between the meat contain gluten. Swap in gluten-free bread cut to the same 3 cm cubes, or skip the bread entirely and add extra vegetables like bell pepper or onion between the meat instead.
What’s the difference between spiedini di carne misti and spiedini alla Romana?
Spiedini alla Romana is a single-meat skewer, usually just pork, layered with bread and sometimes cheese, popular around Rome. Spiedini di carne misti mixes several meats, here pork, beef, and sausage, on the same skewer, giving more contrast in fat and texture from one bite to the next.