How to make delicious barbecue. How to marinate juicy kebab yourself? Barbecue in mineral water

Sokolova Svetlana

Reading time: 5 minutes

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Barbecue - fragrant, attractive and tasty dish accompanying us throughout the warm season. Not a single "foray" into nature is complete without cooking meat over coals. Therefore, I will tell you how to cook pork and lamb skewers on the grill.

Shashlik - cooking masterpiece and a means of bringing people together. This is an occasion to gather a noisy company, make friends, perhaps, and find a girlfriend or boyfriend.

According to tradition, men cook barbecue, because only strong male hands can knead meat with marinade and chopped onions. As a result, onion juice, along with acids and enzymes, will saturate the meat and give off flavor.

Burning coals, preparing and frying meat is a brutal action that emphasizes the strength of a man and arouses admiration among ladies. Although, women, having culinary experience, imagination and taste, easily prepare different versions of the presented dish.

It seems that there is nothing complicated in cooking barbecue - you cut the meat, keep it in the marinade and fry it. People who hold this opinion are mistaken. Such actions lead to disappointment caused by a dry, tough and tasteless dish.

The listed sequence of actions is correct, but the secret of a delicious barbecue lies in the fact that in the cooking process all the details and movements are extremely important. Each stage of cooking barbecue requires the right approach. It is about choosing meat, marinating, lighting coals and frying. It is even important to know how to eat shish kebab correctly, what side dish it goes with and what drinks to drink.

Experienced chefs use their senses in the process of cooking barbecue. They observe, are guided by their sense of smell and listen to sounds. The information received helps to turn the skewers in a timely manner or moisten the barbecue. Some are just learning how to cook meat. They are interested in the subtleties of cooking, because no one wants the first cooked barbecue to be unsuccessful.

How to cook pork skewers

Pork is usually used for barbecue. Pork skewers are so popular for a reason. It has an unsurpassed aroma and taste, juicy and tender.

Contrary to seeming simplicity, cook pork skewers not so easy. The cooking process has secrets and tricks, the knowledge of which helps even a beginner to "perfectly" cope with the task.

First of all, choose the right meat, the result depends on the quality and freshness. Experts recommend cooking shish kebab from chilled pork. If you don't have one, buy frozen.

Novice cooks defrost meat by dipping it in water. I don't recommend doing that. It is better to put the pork on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Slow defrosting preserve the taste and useful properties.

How to choose the right pork for barbecue

• First, carefully examine the piece of meat. Fresh pork is pink in color, and when pressed with a finger, the pits are aligned.
• Be sure to use your sense of smell. The fresh product is characterized by a pleasant and sweet smell. If the pork smells of rot, mold or ammonia, of course, you can’t buy it.
• Ask the seller to cut off a small piece. Bring it to the fire from a match and smell it. The smell of roasted pork is a sign of freshness.
• Which part of the carcass to give preference to, you decide. The neck, lumbar region and brisket are ideal for barbecue. Ham and shoulder are not the best options.

This issue has been dealt with. Now let's talk about the preparation of the marinade. I know many recipes, but I will share only two of the most common.

Pork marinade with mayonnaise

1. Cut the pork into slices, and the onion into rings. Put the ingredients in a large saucepan and cover with mayonnaise. For a kilogram of meat, 250 ml of sauce is enough.
2. Add some salt and spices to the pot. After thorough mixing, leave the dishes in a cool place for a day. Stir before cooking.

Marinade with vinegar

1. Cut the pork into slices, and a few medium onions into rings. Put the meat and onion in a saucepan, sprinkle with pepper and salt.
2. V liter jar pour 100 ml of ordinary or apple cider vinegar and add water. Determine the volume of liquid yourself. The main thing is that the solution is moderately acidic.
3. Pour half of the vinegar water into the bowl with pork and mix. Sprinkle the skewers with the remaining solution. In this case, the marinade should cover the pork. The marinade is suitable for frying after 4 hours.

Step by step charcoal cooking

We chose and marinated the meat. Now it remains to cook. The stage is the most important and requires special attention.

• I use store-bought coals. Although, you can make them yourself. The main thing is to heat them up before frying.
• Turn the meat constantly while frying. Only in this case it will be evenly fried. If the kebab is slightly burnt or very dry, moisten with marinade or a mixture of wine and water.
• I recommend constantly moistening the pork to protect the kebab from burning and it will turn out fragrant, soft and juicy.

Video recipe

I think you have been using a similar grilled pork kebab recipe for a long time, but I do not exclude that some have heard something new.

Chicken kebab recipes

What is associated with outdoor recreation? With a burning fire, a noisy company and the aroma of meat cooked on coals. Barbecue has long been an attribute of a country holiday.

Only a person who knows culinary tricks. Cooking is my hobby. I will share my experience with you.

You can roast chicken on charcoal without preparation. However, in this case, one cannot count on a tasty and fragrant result. That is why it is recommended to marinate.

5 chicken marinade recipes

1. Simple marinade . 50 milliliters sunflower oil connect with the same amount wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to the resulting mixture. Pour the finished marinade chicken fillet and roast after half an hour.
2. Marinade on mayonnaise . In the evening, grate the chicken cut into pieces with salt, pepper and garlic, grease with mayonnaise and put in a saucepan. Marinate until morning.
3. Marinade on beer . Season the treated chicken with salt, pepper and sprinkle with oregano, combine with chopped onion and place in a large bowl. It remains to add beer and leave the meat to marinate for 10 hours. This chicken kebab is combined with fried potatoes and greenery.
4. Marinade for kefir e. Put the pieces of meat in a bowl, add grated garlic, salt, pepper, onion rings and pour kefir. After stirring, the chicken should marinate for two hours.
5. Nut marinade . First, prepare a mixture of grated garlic, chopped onions, crushed nuts and vegetable oil. Marinade rub the pieces of meat and leave for half an hour. Salt the chicken again before frying.

These are not all pickling methods chicken meat, I shared only popular recipes. It remains to cook the meat, guided by step by step instructions.

• First, make a fire. Birch firewood is suitable along with birch bark. Cooking chicken barbecue is better with the addition of firewood from fruit trees.
• Alternatively, use store-bought charcoal to make the process easier. Light a fire, add coal and after a few minutes start frying.
• I recommend kindling charcoal without special liquids. Kerosene, gasoline and other combustible materials will spoil the taste of the dish.
• Put the prepared meat on skewers and put on the grill. Turn constantly during frying.
• Check the readiness of the barbecue with a sharp object: a toothpick, match, fork or knife. Pierce a piece of meat, a white liquid comes out - a sign of readiness. If the juice is red, sweat the meat again.

Videos cooking

Any of these sauces are easy to prepare yourself at home. Do not forget about vegetables and herbs, which products will emphasize and complement the chicken skewers. If you don’t want to mess around with barbecue, cook rabbitwithout leaving the kitchen.

How to cook lamb skewers

Cooking barbecue is a fascinating process, the preparation for which consists of two stages. The first involves the choice of meat, which should be fresh and moderately fatty. The second involves preparing for frying.

There are many ways to marinate, but not all are suitable for lamb. Consider three preparation options. Check them out or cook lamb in the oven.

Uzbek barbecue

Ingredients

Servings: 4

• mutton 500 g
• fat tail fat 150 g
• flour 2 tbsp. l.
• onion 3 pcs
• parsley 20 g
• anise 10 g
• Red pepper 5 g
• vinegar 3% 50 ml

per serving

Calories: 225 kcal

Proteins: 18.5 g

Fats: 16.5 g

Carbohydrates: 2 g

30 minutes. Video recipe Print

Cut the lamb into pieces the size of a matchbox, and cut the onion into rings.

Prepare the marinade. Mix onion with anise, pepper and vinegar. Pour the meat with the resulting mass and leave for three hours.

Thread the lamb onto a skewer, alternating the fat tail fat with the pulp. Sprinkle with flour, send the meat to the grill. Ready meal sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Shashlik in Armenian

Ingredients:

• Lamb loin - 1 kg.
• Onions - 2 heads.
• Lemon - 1 pc.
• Pepper, lamb fat, salt.

Cooking:

1. Cut the meat into pieces, salt, add pepper and onion rings.
2. Remove the zest from the lemon and squeeze out the juice. Combine the zest with the juice with the meat. After stirring, marinate the meat for eight hours.
3. It remains to string lamb on skewers and bring to readiness over coals. Lubricate with lard during cooking.

Lamb on the bone

Ingredients:

• Lamb with bone - 1 kg.
• Lemon - 1 pc.
• Vegetable oil - 50 ml.
• Coriander, basil, tarragon, mint, salt and pepper mixture.

Cooking:

1. Cut lamb into pieces. Grind the greens and mix with oil, lemon juice, salt and a mixture of peppers.
2. Brush each piece of lamb with sauce and place in a saucepan. After three hours, the meat will be suitable for frying. Just marinate in a cool place.

I don’t know if you have ever tried a kebab cooked according to one of the above recipes. If not, you must do it.

Buy some fresh meat, marinate well and go on vacation with your family. Each member of the family will appreciate this chic dish.

How to marinate barbecue deliciously

What could be better than a trip with a friendly company to the river bank or to the forest, especially if the entertainment program includes barbecue? In order for the dish to live up to expectations, it is necessary to understand the intricacies of marinating shish kebab at home.

Shashlik is grilled meat. The current generation inherited this dish from primitive people. Taste depends on the right marinade. Previously, people did not deal with such trifles and immediately started cooking. Fortunately, over time, the technology of cooking meat on coals has improved, which has a positive effect on the taste.

Kefir marinade

Kefir is the most popular marinade. It is suitable for marinating beef, pork, lamb and rabbit. Popularity Secret fermented milk product among barbecue fans lies in the ability to soften meat and saturate creamy taste.

• You will need meat, several onions, spices and kefir. For a kilogram of meat, a liter of kefir.
• Dip the portioned pieces into the marinade prepared by mixing kefir with onions, salt and spices.
• Top the meat with lemon juice. Soak in kefir marinade for three hours.
• Send the barbecue to the coals, after planting it on skewers.

Kefir in terms of pickling barbecue deserves attention. But it does not compare with pomegranate juice. I had to marinate the meat different ways, but only one option, which I will tell you about, became a favorite.

pomegranate marinade

The cost of pomegranate marinade is higher than kefir, but the result is worth it. Pomegranate juice helps to prepare an inimitable and the finest dish.

1. Gather spices according to taste. I recommend looking in the market for a point where the seller, depending on the weight and type of meat, will collect everything you need from different trays in a matter of seconds in one bag.
2. Buy meat and pomegranate juice. For two parts of meat, take a liter natural juice. You can do it yourself if

   In Africa, there are tribes who put meat in an anthill before cooking. Under the influence of formic acid, the structure becomes soft and juicy. We live in a civilized world and there is no need to go to such extremes.

   I will list tricks to help reduce the stiffness of meat to a minimum. As a result, the barbecue is soft and juicy.

   • fruit marinade . Gently peel two kiwis and pass through a grater. Add a little salt and spices to the resulting mass. Send the pieces of meat to the fruit marinade and wait up to one hour.
   • Kefir marinade . Mix half a liter of kefir with the same amount of mineral water, add salt, pepper and some dry herbs. Soak the prepared meat in the marinade for three hours, then send it to the coals.
   • wine marinade . Mix white wine and mineral water in equal proportions, add spices, pepper and salt and a few chopped onion heads. After three hours, the kebab is ready for frying. If alcohol is not completely used up, read how to store wine.
   • Mustard and beer . Smear the pieces of meat with mustard, pepper and leave for an hour. Pour in beer and marinate for three hours. Before frying, sprinkle the kebab with salted water.
   • Vodka and soy sauce . Mix 150 milliliters of soy sauce with a glass of vodka. Pour the barbecue with the resulting sauce. After an hour and a half, put the meat on skewers and send it to the coals.

   Remember, without the right firewood for frying, you won’t be able to cook a delicious, juicy and mouth-watering barbecue. The aroma and taste of the dish depends on the wood that is used for cooking. That is why stock up on firewood in advance, otherwise the feast will spoil.

   Barbecue is cooked not on burning wood, but on coals. They provide the optimum temperature for frying. As a result, the meat does not burn or dry out, but is cooked in own juice.

   Not all wood is suitable for barbecue. There are tree species in which there are a lot of resins: spruce and pine. The resin, which such firewood is rich in, in the process of smoldering will transfer the taste to the meat, which will spoil it.

   If the brazier is low, it is easy to reduce the heat. Put the onion that was used in pickling on the coals, or use water. You can achieve the effect in another way, pushing the coals to the sides.

   Some people speed up the combustion of firewood by using flammable liquids. On the one hand, this speeds up the cooking process, on the other hand, this technique has a bad effect on taste.

   Do you want the barbecue to have a unique flavor? Use grapevine for frying. If it doesn't exist, don't fret. Suitable linden, birch, oak or fruit trees. If there is a country house or cottage, there will be no problems with firewood.

   Have a good rest and delicious kebabs!

Shish kebab is considered traditional dish Turkic peoples, however, in prehistoric times, representatives of all the peoples of the world cooked meat on a spit. Today it is fried not only from traditional lamb but also pork, chicken, veal, fish, vegetables and more. The main rule is that the meat is juicy, and how to achieve this will be described in this article.

Pork skewers

Juicy pork skewers can be obtained using vinegar, wine as the main component of the marinade, tomato juice, kefir, mineral water. But for those who want to get a special dish with a bright original taste pomegranate juice can be recommended.

• size 1 glass;
• a couple of heads of onions;
• a bunch of basil and parsley;
• spices - salt, black pepper, cloves and paprika.

1. Since it has been decided to use such an unusual component of the marinade as pomegranate juice, it is better to squeeze it out of ripe pomegranates on your own, but in no case should you buy ready-made juice in the store. The result can be very disappointing.
2. Pieces of pork must first be sprinkled with salt, pepper, cloves, paprika and mixed, and then begin to be laid in a saucepan in layers, shifting each with onion rings and chopped herbs.
3. Pour everything over with juice and put in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
4. Every hour, the contents of the saucepan must be mixed, and at the end of the 4th hour, place oppression and leave the meat until the morning. It will turn out very tender and spicy, it will quickly fry and attract with its delicate pomegranate flavor.

Chicken skewers

Of course, poultry meat is primarily attractive because it cooks very quickly, but there is always a danger of getting dry or completely dry. dry dish. To avoid this, it is necessary to choose the most preferred marinade, but how to do this when there are a great many of them? Very simple. The chicken “loves” the neighborhood of honey and soy sauce very much, so we will use them.

What you need based on 2 kg of meat:

• soy sauce 150 ml;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• in the amount of 1 tbsp. l.;
• salt and any spices you like.

In order for the barbecue to be soft and juicy, it is necessary to choose a marinade that would soften the meat, but at the same time not kill its taste. A juicy kebab will never come out of vinegar, because it makes the meat tough, like rubber. You should not use mayonnaise with ketchup, especially those bought in a store, but do-it-yourself adjika is quite suitable. Better yet, increase the concentration of tomatoes in it and you get an excellent marinade sauce.

What you need:

• fresh;
• garlic or onion;
• parsley and other herbs;
• salt, spices.

Steps for preparing a delicious juicy kebab:

1. Beat the tomatoes with a blender or scroll through a meat grinder.
2. Sprinkle the meat with salt and spices, mix.
3. Add onion rings or garlic cloves to the tomato, depending on your own taste preferences, and pour the meat over them.
4. Send to the refrigerator, and after a few hours you can fry.

These are the recipes delicious marinades that provide juiciness to the meat. You can try to divide the meat into portions and use your own marinade for each, and then compare. Happy spring break!

Grilled meat is something special. At home, in the oven and even on an air grill, you will never cook such a fragrant, fried shish kebab as on the coals of a fire built on the banks of a river in the nearest forest. And to make the meat soft and tender, marinades were invented in the world.

Marinade is a mixture of spices, vegetable oils and natural products containing acids. The meat aged in the marinade acquires a soft texture and aroma due to the ingredients of the marinade. For pork, beef and lamb, marinades are made rich, while marinades for poultry and fish should be more delicate and tender. The tougher the meat, the longer you need to keep it in the marinade. It is not recommended to put salt in marinades, since the hypertonic solution will simply “suck out” all the juice from the meat, and the kebab will turn out dry. For the same reason, the marinade should not be made too “sour”.

Amateur cooks often experiment with marinades, sometimes adding the most unexpected and even exotic ingredients to them, making marinades sweet, spicy, sour or spicy. Ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, kiwi, mayonnaise, cognac, coffee, mustard, sparkling mineral water, yogurt, a variety of spices, pomegranate juice, onion, garlic - all this can become the ingredients of your marinade. But the marinade should not be too much. Since the meat will give its juice during the marinating process, the amount of liquid will increase even more - this must be borne in mind.

Do not use aluminum utensils to marinate meat. Usually the meat is marinated in a large enamel saucepan and even in a bucket, if a large company is going to barbecue. But if such dishes are not at hand, it is quite possible to get by with an ordinary plastic bag, only a whole one.

The duration of marinating depends on several factors: the stiffness of the meat, the time that you have before the “X” hour, and also on the presence in the refrigerator right products. If time is running out, choose a recipe for a more “vigorous” marinade, and if you add onion to it, do not cut it into rings, as usual, but rub it on a grater. In such a marinade, the meat should be kept literally for 2-3 hours, otherwise it will be bitter.

Fish should not be kept in the marinade for a long time - 45 minutes is enough. Does not require long preparation and poultry meat. You can start frying chicken skewers within half an hour after laying the meat in the marinade.

If you cut the meat into large pieces, it will take longer to marinate it. You need to cut the meat across the fibers so that the pieces do not “shrink” during cooking.

Dishes with meat should be placed in a cool place, preferably in the refrigerator.

Barbecue Marinade Recipes

Traditional marinade consists of vinegar, chopped onion rings, black pepper and salt. It is this marinade that is usually used for store-bought kebabs that no one likes. The disadvantages of this mixture are that the vinegar must be measured with jewelry accuracy, and the holding time should not be delayed, otherwise the meat acquires an unpleasant aftertaste, although, of course, it smells wonderful during cooking. But true barbecue connoisseurs reject vinegar and never add it to marinades. The same, incidentally, applies to mayonnaise.

lemon marinade connoisseurs of rejection does not cause and is great for pork. And all you need to do is add lemon juice of one or two lemons to the marinade instead of vinegar. The remaining ingredients are classic - onions, vegetable (preferably olive) oil, black pepper and peas, bay leaf. As for the proportions, 2-3 onions, four tablespoons of oil and spices to taste will be enough for two kilograms of pork.

coffee marinade generally does not involve the addition of acids to the meat. For the same two kilograms of pork with spices, 4 tbsp. spoons olive oil and chopped onion rings (4 pcs.) You will need 1 liter of hot, but not boiling coffee. With this coffee, the meat is poured, and then left to cool down at first. room temperature and then marinate in the refrigerator. Soak the meat in this marinade for six hours. Your guests will never guess what gave the kebabs such tenderness and aroma.

Kefir marinade has recently become very popular with those who like to eat in the bosom of nature fragrant barbecue. For its preparation, for two kg of pork, a liter of low-fat kefir, spices and seasonings to taste, and four not too small onions are usually taken. Onions can be cut into rings, or cubes, then mixed with meat and seasonings, and pour the resulting mixture with kefir. The dishes with meat should be shaken well and put in the cold for 4 hours. Kefir marinade is not bad for chicken skewers, and for beef, just not too tough. A marinade based on yogurt is prepared in a similar way, but not sweet with fruit additives, but ordinary sour milk.

Marinade on mineral water made even easier. For him, one and a half liters of well-carbonated mineral water, herbs, spices, a little salt and 3 onions are taken. Even the oldest beef, after 4 hours spent in this marinade, turns into tender fillet. But attention, do not add medical table types of mineral water to the marinade: they have a peculiar taste and smell that they will not hesitate to tell your barbecue.

pomegranate marinade love in the east. For its preparation, two glasses of pomegranate juice, several bunches of greens (cilantro, mint, basil), more ground pepper and one large onion are taken per kilogram of meat. The meat is kept in such a marinade for at least 10 hours, and preferably a day, but, of course, in the refrigerator. For lamb and pork, this marinade is almost perfect.

wine marinade gives the meat a delicate aroma and makes it softer. However, not everyone likes the taste of wine. Nevertheless, for those who want to try pickling meat in wine, it is recommended to take a liter of dry red wine, three medium-sized onions, more black pepper and fresh basil for the same two kilograms of beef or pork. If you use white wine, your marinade will work for turkey as well.

There are hundreds of barbecue marinade recipes. Soy sauce, honey, kvass, beer, tomato juice, mustard, balsamic and Apple vinegar and whatever. But now that the marinade preparation algorithm is clear, you can experiment with any ingredients, creating your own, unique and most best marinade.

In favor of the Asian origin of this dish, not only its name speaks, but also the preparation of shish kebab itself - in the desert and steppe regions of Eurasia, due to the lack of wood, it was faster and more convenient to cook finely chopped meat. Therefore, even today everyone is well aware that delicious barbecue they will cook it for you somewhere in Central Asia or the Caucasus. Delicious barbecue recipe business card Asian cook. Moreover, barbecue recipes different nations have their own. Shish kebab marinating (shish kebab soaking), methods of cooking shish kebab may differ. From generation to generation, hereditary Caucasian cooks pass on the secrets of how to marinate shish kebab, how to fry shish kebab properly. But Russian people first learned how to make barbecue in the middle of the 18th century thanks to the Russian-Turkish war. I must say, kebabs quickly took root throughout Russia.

Three hundred years later, everyone knows how to fry shish kebab, how to marinate shish kebab or how to soak shish kebab, in theory, but not everyone can cook a real fragrant, soft, juicy shish kebab in practice. To know how to cook the right kebab, it would be good to watch the master at work or watch a video: you need to know when to turn the kebab, when to turn it over / add fire, when to shoot. In this sense, video barbecue recipes really help.

So, if you decide to cook a barbecue, cooking recipes differ from each other in the type of meat and ingredients for the marinade. In principle, any meat for barbecue can be used, but classic barbecue or real barbecue is traditionally made from lamb. If you still love pork, the best kebab comes from the neck.

The barbecue marinating recipe is perhaps the most important point. There are many answers to the question “how to marinate meat for barbecue?” There are many. Salt, black pepper, onion, herbs, lemon, and other spices are usually used. A few words about how to marinate barbecue. The main portion of salt in shashlik it is better to add 15-30 minutes before frying, otherwise it can release all the juice from the meat. One of the main ingredients is onion, so there is never a lot of onion for barbecue. Vegetable juices, for example, tomato, soften the meat well and give it a pleasant taste. If you are a lover of the exotic, add pomegranates, oranges or even kiwi to the meat. Put the saucepan in a cool place and wait 3-4 hours. Super mega kebabs are guaranteed!

In our age of chronic haste and lack of time, many are interested in how to cook barbecue quickly. Therefore, we will show you how to quickly marinate the kebab: we advise you to add white wine (but not vinegar!), Beer or kefir to the standard marinade set: after 2-3 hours, the marinating of the kebab will be completed. A quick barbecue is guaranteed!

Barbecue at home - too shashlik, but it cannot be compared with barbecue cooked in nature. Homemade kebabs do not smell of smoke, river, fresh May greens. And of course, even the most delicious barbecue loses all meaning if it is eaten without wine, fresh vegetables, and, moreover, alone. Gather your friends, go to nature, cook a barbecue, take a photo, post them with us as barbecue recipes with a photo. And thousands of people who every year on the eve of the May holidays are looking for how to cook barbecue, how to cook barbecue, how to cook barbecue, how to marinate meat for barbecue, how to cook delicious barbecue, how to cook barbecue delicious, how to soak barbecue, how to pickle delicious barbecue, how to marinate barbecue deliciously, how to marinate barbecue, they will thank you.

And why not talk to us, dear and beloved, about the dish of all times and peoples - shish kebab? The speech turnover about the past days and the people who tasted this dish, in this case, was not used for the sake of a red word - really, try to think about when a person first cooked a barbecue? Surely, our primitive relative, roasting on fire the carcass of a furry beast killed with a spear with his own hands, could not imagine that several millennia later his followers would also bake meat on a fire, while calling their dinner with the delicious word “kebab”.

However, we will not delve into history, let's rather talk heart to heart about how to cook delicious meat on the grill. Surely in your family there are a couple of family secrets that you will never tell anyone about. And if "Magic Food" shares its knowledge, will you give away your secrets? We won't tell anyone else, honestly!

15 tips for those who want to learn how to cook the perfect barbecue

1. How to choose meat for barbecue

Not everything is barbecue that smells delicious.

It's not a secret for anyone that if you do everything right, right and traditionally, then for cooking barbecue gotta get lamb. However, firstly, this type of meat has a rather strong specific smell, which not everyone likes, and secondly, it is not so easy to find high-quality lamb tenderloin in our stores and markets, so another almost traditional option has long taken root - pork skewers.

When choosing meat, pay attention to its fat content: a piece that is too lean will be dry and tough after cooking, a piece that is too fatty will remain unpleasantly greasy. Here, as in no other case, the golden mean is important. When it comes to pork, they usually buy the neck. Less often - a shoulder blade or a ham. Korean is not taken at all– despite the fact that this is the most beautiful part pork carcass, for barbecue, it is not suitable categorically.

In addition to pork, you can use veal (high quality beef), chicken meat, turkey meat. In addition, shish kebab is also prepared from some types of fish - catfish, salmon, sturgeon.

Sharing family secrets of delicious barbecue, most people share marinade recipes. So, don't believe it! The key to a perfect barbecue is just the right meat. It is impossible to cook a juicy, soft, appetizing kebab from cheap, stale, old pork, you don’t even have to try. And vice versa: it is very difficult to spoil fresh, high-quality meat, it is amazing and beautiful in itself, therefore, the kebab from it will most likely be perfect.

2. How to make the perfect cut of meat

Shish kebab does not tolerate female hands.
Film "Moscow does not believe in tears"

To make the barbecue tasty and juicy, it is important to correctly approach the issue of cutting meat. There are two key points.

The first is the size, strange as it sounds, of course, it matters: too small pieces of meat will simply dry out on the fire, turning into dry hard "chips", and large chunks will not have time to fry, they will burn on top, inside they will remain raw. Again - the golden mean: not big and not small, even and neat and - important! - everything is about the same size, otherwise some of the meat will be overcooked, some will remain undercooked.

Second - the meat must be cut across the fibers. A simple truth that few people follow when trying to cut meat the way they want - instead of doing it right. And in the end it turns out, of course, in different ways, but more often - harsh, dry and unappetizing.

3. How to calculate the product

Make sure that neither the barbecue nor the skewer burns.

There should be a lot of barbecue! This is an indisputable truth, a law and simply an axiom that does not require any reasonable proof. There should be so much kebab that it will definitely remain (by the way, have you ever tried to stew potatoes on a kebab, cook pea soup or cook pilaf? No? oh-oh-oh-very in vain!). Meat is usually bought at the rate of 300-400 g per person. More is possible, less is not worth it. Do not forget that in the process of cooking this product will definitely lose weight.

4. The best barbecue marinade

They didn't eat shish kebab, but they were blinded by the smoke.

About how best to marinate shish kebab, ask real professionals - those who prepare this dish constantly and regularly, who were born and raised in a country for which shish kebab has long been an element of culture, who fry it, no longer striving to improve perfection. In many Caucasian countries, barbecue meat is marinated in its own juice, adding only salt, black pepper and onions to the chopped pieces. This minimalism has a special meaning, each ingredient is dictated by experience and common sense.

However, if you want to find another special recipe barbecue marinade and every time you prepare to fry meat on a fire, you try a new way, do not forget that in most cases it takes time for the meat to marinate properly. Ideally, we are talking about 10-12 hours, in the minimum format - at least 4-5 hours.

5. To salt or not to salt?

Do not part with the lamb - stay without barbecue.

What a question, you ask, of course, salt! Ok, salt, but when? Before frying or after? There is a widespread belief that salt "pulls" juices out of meat, so you should not add it to the marinade, it is enough to salt it immediately before frying or after it.

Believe me (and if you don’t believe it, arm yourself with scales, a notebook and a smart look and check it experimentally!), Pre-salting the meat at the marinating stage in no way affects the dehydration of the product. Salting the finished kebab is quite problematic: the salt will not penetrate inside through the dense meat crust, it will remain on the surface and will be felt only on the upper layers of the meat piece.

To be completely fair, it is worth noting that the cooking time affects the dryness of the kebab much more strongly (if the heat is not intense enough, you will have to “marinate” the meat also over the coals, long and tedious, which will naturally dry it out much more than this supposedly make salt) and the size of the piece of meat (this was already mentioned above). Therefore, we salt without hesitation, because as unsalted meat it is horror what it is, a translation of the product and generally nonsense.

6. Seasonings: to be or not to be? That's the question!

Life is easy when you eat barbecue.

In recent years, supermarket shelves have sagged under the weight of all kinds of seasonings - for chicken, pork, lamb, just universal meat, grilled meat, barbecue and other trinkets. At the bazaar, it is impossible to calmly pass by oriental spices and spices poured in beautiful slides - you will be offered anything you want, and you will not even have time to look back, as you will receive disposable bags of ingredients mixed from spices that you do not understand.

If you approach the issue reasonably and restrainedly, it is certainly delicious. However, be very confident in your reasonableness and restraint, because otherwise you risk getting something meaty instead of barbecue, but poorly recognizable behind a thick crust of all kinds of spices.

And do not forget that everything that protrudes, sticks out and hangs down on the meat will definitely burn. Herbs and seasonings are easily flammable - do you want to eat a lot of embers?

7. Skewers or grill?

A house is not built on seven winds, a barbecue does not argue on seven coals.

Traditionally, shish kebab is fried on skewers, beautifully and confidently turning them over the coals. However, if you feel more comfortable putting the meat on the grill grate, then lay it out! Why not? Of course, this is not a classic of the genre, but, for example, pancake pans did not always exist either - this is not a reason to still fry pancakes on a hot stone.

By the way. If you decide to fry meat on skewers, try to heat them well on the grill before stringing meat on them - this way you will not only disinfect the metal (this is important for some), but also ensure the coagulation of proteins inside the meat piece, which will allow the juice not to flow out from the barbecue or flow out in a much smaller volume.

8. A little imagination - for beauty and aroma

Only a sheep can refuse barbecue.

Barbecue is a creative business, it does not need exact proportions, ingredients adjusted to the gram, strict adherence to the recipe, and that's great! You can always improvise, try your options, realize your own fantasies. Try to play with the marinade - who knows, maybe you will be able to discover a new component, thanks to which your barbecue will become famous throughout the city?

Another topic for creativity is stringing meat on skewers in turn with additional products. Most often, of course, we are talking about onion rings, however, feel free to try everything that comes to your mind. Looks absolutely incredible chicken skewers, which is put on skewers interspersed with large grapes. Courgettes and zucchini cooked on coals are amazingly tasty - maybe you should try cooking them at the same time as meat? bell pepper, pieces of bacon, pumpkin, tomatoes, eggplant, peaches, apples and everything that comes to your mind. Try!

9. Bonfire and coals

If you like barbecue, love and fire up the grill.

Connoisseurs say that the most delicious kebab comes out on fruit firewood. Cherry, pear, plum are considered the most suitable, while it should be understood that a rare specialist, having tried a kebab cooked, for example, on cherry wood, will distinguish it from a kebab cooked on oak branches.

In general, you can use any deciduous trees - linden, birch, poplar. At the same time, it is worth remembering: in no case should you take resinous (coniferous) wood species for cooking barbecue. Resins will give the meat a characteristic flavor and aroma, which will simply spoil the meat.

10. Grilling barbecue

Shish kebab is not far from the barbecue.

It would seem, what could be easier? I strung the meat, put the skewers on the grill and spin it for yourself until the kebab becomes appetizing, and everyone passing by comes running to the smell. However, barbecue requires a careful approach, with a running start and without experience, you are unlikely to cook delicious meat, and even a heap of various theoretical knowledge will still not be enough until you fry it yourself at least a dozen times.

The first thing to remember is that the barbecue is cooked over coals. A banal, uninteresting truth that many neglect. Hurrying to quickly serve the meat to the table, would-be chefs lose their patience and start frying the shish kebab on the wood that has not completely burnt out. The result is a hard, burnt crust and a raw, unchewable middle.

Another common mistake is neglecting the flames that sometimes appear on coals. If suddenly fat or any other flammable ingredient gets on the burned-out firewood, the coals instantly react - harmful and very aggressive lights rise, which strive to ruin your picnic. Always ready (yes, always, even if you are sure that this will not happen to you) should be a bottle of water. For convenience, make several holes in the lid - this will allow you to gently spray water over those areas that require your intervention, and will help not to flood the rest of the coals.

11. Checking the readiness of the barbecue

Communication in Russia is so important that external circumstances cease to matter. Several times I happened to fry a barbecue in the cold and in the rain - if we decide to go to the park for barbecues, we do so, regardless of the vagaries of the weather.
Anna-Lena Lauren, “They have something with their heads, these Russians”

The barbecue is checked for readiness very simply: with a knife, cut the thickest piece of meat to the skewer, lightly press. If the secreted juice is colorless, the kebab is ready. If blood is visible on the cut, it is worth waiting a little more.

12. Serving barbecue

Lamb is not invited to barbecue.

It is beautiful, of course, if the kebab is removed from the fire and immediately laid out on the table right on the skewers - in some restaurants, real shows are created from this simple action. In general, yes, spectacular and amazing, but ... very uncomfortable. Firstly, the skewers immediately occupy an irrationally huge space on the table. Secondly, eating meat from the “skewer” is, of course, magnificent in a primitive way, but hardly pleasant: even the ears get dirty.

The choice is yours - entertainment and theatricality or simplicity and comfort.

13. A little secret before the kebab hits the table

One had a beard on fire, and the other was grilling shish kebab on it.

After you have removed the meat from the coals, it is not bad to let it "reach" a little. You do it anyway - usually this is just the time it takes for guests to, having heard the signal “kebab is ready!”, wash their hands, move to the table, fill their glasses and say the first toast. Ideally, the meat should be under a lid or wrapped in foil - this is how the “steam effect” is ensured, which helps the barbecue to relax a little, release the juices, and finally and irrevocably soften.

For a special twist, try drizzling the cooked meat with a little pomegranate juice (amazing!) or dry wine (savory!). If desired, add fresh herbs and chopped onions to the bowl - after 15 minutes, the kebab will acquire a special aroma and taste.

14. Accompaniment to barbecue

The arba broke - lazy firewood, the bull died - a shish kebab for a bum.

In our tradition, for some reason, barbecue is always associated with vodka or beer. No one calls you to sobriety, however, think at your leisure sometime whether the mentioned comrades are really the best friends of barbecue.

Again we make a mental reference to the Caucasian traditions and remember that most often on holiday table a jug of wine is standing by a Caucasian, we draw conclusions and try to serve red to the barbecue dry wine, tart and thick.

Well, do not forget about fresh vegetables and herbs. The more juicy cilantro, bright parsley, tender dill, spicy basil, sweet cucumbers, sugar tomatoes appear on the table along with meat, the tastier the kebab will be.

By the way, the bread that you serve can also be slightly held over the coals - it will become fragrant and crispy. If a couple of sheets of pita bread are lying around in the house, wrap cheese, tomatoes, herbs in it and fry over coals - it will be unrealistically delicious!

15. Sense of proportion

The turkey also thought until he got to the barbecue.
Film "Cards, money and two barrels"

Barbecue is an event, of course, very exciting and creative, however, in your creative impulses, try to keep a sense of proportion. Do not dump all the above tips and secrets into one huge bowl of meat. A hundred marinade ingredients are unlikely to make the kebab tastier - when trying to implement your recipes, think about moderation. If you want to string additional components along with meat, you should not mix lard with grapes and strawberries with fish in one pile. If you pour wine over the meat during frying, you probably shouldn’t sprinkle it additionally when serving. lemon juice. Sense of proportion, dear ones, sense of proportion in everything!

Barbecue Marinade - Top 10 Best Recipes

1. Shashlik in red wine

In the process of preparation, alcohol vapors, as in many other recipes using wine, cognac or other strong drinks, evaporate, leaving only a subtle subtle fruity flavor and an incredibly rich, beautiful color.

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
300 ml dry red wine;
3-4 bulbs;
5 cloves of garlic;

Wash the meat, dry it, cut into portions. We put it in a saucepan, salt, pepper, squeeze the garlic, mix everything thoroughly, add the onion sliced ​​​​in circles, pour in the wine. Mix again, then cover with a plate or lid, smaller in diameter than the diameter of the pan, put a jar of water or other load on top. We leave for 6-7 hours.

2. Barbecue in kefir

A combination that is very strange at first glance will surprise you as a result of cooking the barbecue: the meat will be most tender, the taste will be a little creamy.

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
200 ml of kefir;
3 onions;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Wash the meat, cut into portions, salt, pepper, pour kefir. We spread the onion, mix well, put it in the cold for at least 5 hours.

3. Barbecue in mineral water

Fans of marinating barbecue in mineral water claim that this is one of the most quick ways pre-prepare the meat for cooking on the fire. By itself, such a marinade is quite neutral, therefore, to give the kebab a “zest”, try adding suitable spices to mineral water - spicy ground pepper, paprika, coriander.

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
250 ml of mineral water;
2-3 bulbs;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Wash the meat, dry it, cut into portions. We shift in layers with chopped onion rings, salt and pepper in parallel. We fill mineral water leave in a cool place for 1-3 hours.

4. Kebab with kiwi

But this is definitely the “fastest” of all possible marinades! Thanks to the organic acids that are part of the green exotic berry, the collagen in the meat protein is destroyed, as a result of which the meat becomes very, very soft. However, be careful: overdo it a little - and instead of shish kebab you will get minced meat: kiwi in this way acts on meat quite quickly. The method is very useful in cases where you have chosen the wrong meat - tough and sinewy.

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
5 kiwi;
5 cloves of garlic;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Puree kiwi and garlic, mix with washed, dried, cut into pieces, salted meat. Cover with a lid and leave for 40-60 minutes, periodically checking the condition of the meat and testing it for softness by simply piercing with a knife.

5. Shish kebab in onion-tomato marinade

Spicy and aromatic. Meat marinated in tomato-onion dressing will be juicy and unusual.

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
3 ripe tomatoes;
1 large onion;
1 tsp hops-suneli;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Grate the tomatoes. Onion cut into rings.
My meat, dry, cut into pieces. Salt, add pepper, suneli hops. Mix with tomato puree, shift onion rings. We leave for 8-10 hours.

6. Oriental pork or meat in honey

The marinade, frankly, is not for everyone, however, if you are a fan of oriental trends in cooking, you will surely enjoy the spicy-sweet flavor that this marinade has on the barbecue.

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
3 art. l. honey;
2 tbsp. l. soy sauce;
2 tbsp. l. mustard seeds;
1 tsp dry ground ginger;
1 tsp hot ground pepper;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Wash the meat, dry it, cut into pieces.
Mix with honey soy sauce, hot and black peppers, ginger, mustard, salt. We leave for 5-8 hours.

7. Kebab in vinegar

Many barbecue connoisseurs believe that vinegar makes the meat coarser and tougher, however, there is another opinion: thanks to this additive, the meat becomes spicy, spicy and very tasty. To understand whose camp you are in, you should at least once try to cook barbecue marinated in vinegar.

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
4 tbsp. l. table vinegar (9 %);
10 st. l. water;
3-4 heads of onions;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Wash the meat, dry with disposable towels, cut into portions. Salt, pepper. Mix water and vinegar, pour meat. Stir, shift with onions, leave in a cool place for 3-4 hours.

8. Shish kebab in mayonnaise

Yes, yes, mayonnaise is a cold sauce, yes, of course, when heated, it breaks up into a mountain of harmful substances, of course, it’s generally bad manners to use it when cooking meat. But once you can, right? And if you really like it, then sometimes, just a couple of times a year? Quietly - so that no one knows?

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
200 g of mayonnaise;
4 onion heads;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Wash the meat, dry it, divide it into pieces. Salt, pepper. While stirring, gradually add mayonnaise. We shift in layers, alternating with onion rings. We leave for 5-10 hours.

9. Barbecue in pomegranate juice

Gentle, juicy, bright, fragrant, berry - what else to add so that you understand that such a marinade is worth trying at least once in your life!

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
250 ml fresh pomegranate juice;
4 heads of onions;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

We wash the meat, cut off the excess, dry it, divide it into portions. Salt, add pepper and pomegranate juice, mix well, shift with onion rings, leave in a cool place for 8-10 hours.

10. "Quick" onion marinade

This marinade is very ... very, let's say, for an amateur, because in the process of cooking barbecue, the onion mass burns quickly if you do not first clean it from the meat, however, a significant plus is the special juiciness that onion juice gives to meat, and the breathtaking smell that peculiar to shish kebab cooked with onions. It's definitely worth a try!

For 1 kg of meat you will need:
0.5 kg of onion;
salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste.

We rub the onion on a grater or chop it in a blender. Wash the meat, dry it, cut it, mix with salt, pepper and onion mass. We put under oppression for 5-8 hours. Before stringing meat on skewers, we clean the meat from onions as much as possible.

Well, that, savvy with theory, it's time to start practicing? We wish you many, many sunny days, wonderful occasions for picnics, great companies and, of course, delicious kebabs. And yes, Magic Food fulfilled its part of the contract, told about secrets - now it's your turn to reveal family secrets.