About Apkhazura
Apkhazura are juicy parcels of seasoned ground meat wrapped in a thin, lacy membrane of caul fat and pan-fried until browned. This measured home version combines beef and pork with onion, garlic, fresh herbs and pomegranate arils, which add small tart-sweet bursts through the rich filling.
The caul membrane is the defining wrapper: it renders and tightens around the meat as it cooks. Ask a butcher for clean pork caul fat, sometimes sold as caul or lace fat; it is often frozen. Thaw it safely in the refrigerator before preparing it.
Shape the parcels into thick ovals and cook them gently in two batches. The outside should brown without scorching while the centre reaches a verified 71.1 °C. Serve the parcels hot, with their crisped netlike wrapper and pomegranate-speckled filling intact.
Apkhazura is made from seasoned minced meat enclosed in caul fat, then fried or grilled. It is associated with Abkhazia and is also prepared in other regions of Georgia. This version keeps the established meat-and-membrane form without assigning it exclusively to one region.
The filling here uses equal weights of beef and pork, finely diced onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley and a restrained mix of coriander, summer savory and pepper. Whole pomegranate arils are folded in last so they stay distinct rather than turning the meat wet. Other documented versions use currants or barberries; this recipe chooses pomegranate and does not combine those alternatives.
Caul fat can tear while you shape the parcels, but small gaps are easy to patch with a second piece. Medium-low heat gives the membrane time to render while the filling cooks. Because the parcels are thick, colour alone cannot confirm doneness: check the centre of every one with a thermometer.
