Lamb is considered one of the least common types of meat in the production and sale, which significantly affects the volume of its consumption by the population. In addition to this, due to widespread rumors about the presence of a specific aroma and unpleasant taste in cooked lamb meat, residents, even in the presence of lamb, increasingly prefer the more familiar types of meat for them - poultry, beef and pork.
Eating lamb is definitely worth it, especially for the elderly and children - representatives of the Caucasian and Asian peoples, who traditionally eat lamb skewers and other dishes from this meat (and are famous for their longevity), and even doctors speak about this. And a delicious barbecue marinade, prepared according to the traditions of the aforementioned peoples or simply taking into account the characteristics of lamb, can forever fall in love with even the most sophisticated gourmets.
How to choose the right lamb for barbecue
In order for lamb skewers to be a success, priority should be given to the quality of the meat used. The ham, loin and upper shoulder of young lambs (they should be no more than 1 year old) are perfect - their light red soft meat has absolutely no unpleasant smell, streaks and fatty layers.
An ideal option for barbecue is milk lamb meat, whose age does not exceed 2 months, but you will be able to treat yourself to such an exquisite delicacy only in spring. It is important to remember that the younger the lamb, sheep and lamb were, the more tender and tastier the barbecue from their meat will be.
It is not recommended to marinate the fresh meat of a freshly slaughtered lamb, lamb or sheep - in order to avoid the rigidity of the kebab, it is worth giving the meat the opportunity to lie down a bit (so that the muscles of the slaughtered animal relax).
In the case of buying lamb in a store, where in most cases it is impossible to find out the real age of the butchered carcass, you should already be guided by the color and smell of the meat, as well as by the degree of its freezing. The meat of an old sheep or an old ram has a dark red hue and a smell that will only intensify during frying (it is with this sign that meat is unsuitable for eating that people like to scare people).
Barbecue prepared from such meat is unlikely to be to your taste because of its dryness and stiffness. Yellow fat and large joints of the same color are also signs of old lamb.
Repeatedly frozen meat is not suitable for barbecue and will fit only for minced meat or soups. It will not be difficult to determine it - the recess formed as a result of pressing a finger on the meat will not disappear and may even fill with blood.
Having finally made sure that the lamb for the future barbecue was purchased in accordance with the indicated recommendations, you can finally start marinating it.
Preparing lamb for marinating
A marinade is a mixture of vegetable oils, aromatic spices and natural substances containing acids, used to give meat a tender texture and additional flavor, or to preserve it.
For lamb, along with beef and pork, saturated marinades are more suitable. Lamb skewers need to be kept in such marinades for an average of 1 to 12 hours, depending on the degree of stiffness of the meat and its old age. At the same time, it is better not to add a large amount of salt or acid to the marinade so that the barbecue does not turn out dry during frying.
Before marinating, lamb does not need to be washed in cold water - just wipe a piece of meat with a napkin or paper towel. After removing all the films, tendons and excess fat, the future kebab should be cut into triangles or cubes and placed in a glass or enamel dish with fat (lard) down - this way, when frying mutton kebab, the meat will become much more tender.
The specific smell of meat can be easily repelled by pre-soaking in vodka or adding cinnamon and pine nuts to the marinade.
A frozen piece of lamb requires prior defrosting at room temperature.
Marinade for lamb - recipes for tender and tasty barbecue
Lamb is very fond of marinades, a significant part of which can be used as salad dressings or sauces for meat dishes.
The most famous and common types of marinades are:
- classical;
- with sea salt;
- traditional peoples of the Caucasus and Asia;
- lemon (lime can be used instead of lemon);
- mustard;
- wine (cognac);
- pomegranate;
- soy;
- beer;
- vegetable (including tomato);
- coffee;
- tea;
- marinade based on vinegar (including apple, wine, etc.);
- marinade based on mineral water;
- exotic (for example, from kiwi or avocado).
You can marinate lamb skewers in any of the following ways, focusing on your taste.
Sometimes the type of marinade can already be predetermined in advance - for example, any barbecue recipe according to Caucasian traditions does not allow the use of vinegar and mayonnaise in the marinade (only lemon juice, salt, spices and onions).
Classic marinade
The classic marinade recipe is one of the easiest. That is why it is most common on store shelves. For cooking, you will need coarsely chopped onions, peppercorns, vinegar and salt. The disadvantages of this pickling option are the unpleasant taste and smell of the finished kebab, which is caused by vinegar.
Sea salt marinade is very common. Any spices to taste are added to the lamb, and before frying the meat is sprinkled with sea salt. This will give the barbecue an unusual taste and pleasant aroma.
Traditional marinade of the peoples of the Caucasus and Asia
These marinades differ from all others in the presence of seasonings and spices that are unique to the cuisine of these peoples. Adding vinegar, mayonnaise is prohibited. The most popular types of herbs used are cilantro and marjoram. Vinegar is replaced with citrus juice, which also contains an "acidic" component.
mustard marinade
Marinade is made on the basis of mustard powder, vinegar, vegetable oil, salt. You can also use regular mustard diluted with water. French mustard is also suitable - unlike regular mustard, it is not as spicy. Sometimes mustard is replaced with peanut butter, which does not adversely affect the taste of the kebab.
Wine (cognac) marinade
The most delicious marinade of all presented, as the wine goes well with this type of meat. Lamb is poured with dry or semi-dry wine with the addition of oils, herbs and spices. It is possible to replace wine with cognac.
pomegranate marinade
Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice is required, packaged purchased in this case is not suitable due to the high sugar content. With the help of a mortar, herbs, salt, spices and spices (for example, paprika) are rubbed, after which the finished pieces of lamb are rubbed with the resulting powder. At the very end, pomegranate juice is added.
soy marinade
Ingredients: soy sauce, tarragon, peppercorns, sea (or regular) salt, Provence herbs. All components are pre-mixed and then added to the meat. You can add onions (including shallots) to taste.
beer marinade
Salt and spices are added to the meat, after which the lamb should lie down for 20-30 minutes. Next, light or dark beer is added (non-alcoholic is possible). Due to the beer, the meat acquires a delicate taste.
Vegetable (including tomato)
Ingredients: tomatoes, Bulgarian red or green peppers, chili peppers, pine nuts (to taste), a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, salt. All ingredients are passed in a blender until smooth and then mixed with meat. Garlic can also be added to the marinade if needed.
coffee marinade
Weak freshly brewed coffee cools to room temperature. Then salt, spices and herbs are added to the coffee. Everything is mixed and poured into the meat, after which it is left to marinate for 20-60 minutes.
tea marinade
Leaf black tea is brewed and cooled. Based on a liter of tea, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt, spices and spices are added. The mixture should stand for 10-15 minutes, after which it can be added to the meat.
Vinegar-based marinade (including apple, wine, etc.)
At its core, it is similar to a traditional marinade, to which you can add any other type of vinegar. The most original version of the marinade is based on apple cider vinegar, which gives the meat sourness. If you want a sweetish barbecue flavor, you can add cherry vinegar. Be sure to add vegetable oil.
Marinade based on mineral water
Any mineral non-medicinal water is enriched with a mixture of seasonings, herbs and spices. Simple onions or shallots are added to taste. The meat is infused in this marinade for 1-2 hours.
Exotic (like kiwi or avocado)
For 1 kg of lamb, 200 g of peeled kiwi or avocado is taken, which are rubbed through a sieve or in a blender. In the resulting puree 2 tablespoons of olive oil, spices and salt. In no case should onions be added to this marinade - it is better to cook it separately as a side dish along with olive or vegetable oil, salt and spices.
Marinade for lamb skewers can have a very different and sometimes unusual composition, dictated by taste preferences and the desired result from frying the meat marinated in it. Grilled vegetables are ideal for lamb skewers. As for the sauces for shish kebab, one can argue for quite a long time - connoisseurs say that a good shish kebab does not require any additional sauces for it, while people no longer imagine a shish kebab without ketchups and sauces.
It is only important to remember that the best and most delicious marinade is not store-bought, but made with your own hands, with soul and health care. By experimenting with different ingredients, you can create your own unique marinade, which is not inferior in taste to restaurant ones.
Many barbecue lovers confidently say that the best meat for this dish is lamb. And they are right, because the original is preparedNone of this meat dish was precisely from the pulp of a ram. Few people know how to properly cook barbecue from this meat.
In this article, we will read how to cook lamb skewers, consider the recipes for the most delicious and popular marinades, find out what ingredients to add so that the meat is soft, juicy and fragrant.
Lamb skewers with vinegar
The most popular and proven recipe is lamb skewers with vinegar. It will soften all the veins and the meat will turn out soft and juicy.
Ingredients:
- a piece of sheep meat - 0.5 kg;
- onion - 3 pieces;
- vinegar 9% - 1 tablespoon;
- olive oil - 1 tablespoon;
- mint - 1 sprig;
- parsley - one small bunch;
- spices, salt and pepper - at the discretion of the cook.
Cooking process:
- Cut the selected piece of meat into portions so that it is convenient to string on a skewer or lay on a barbecue. Remove films and veins, rinse under running water and place in a deep container. Add your favorite spices here, the required amount of salt, pepper, vinegar and olive oil. Mix all ingredients.
- Then take care of the onion, it must be peeled and cut into rings. Tear the prepared and washed greens into small pieces. Add all this to a container with meat, mix well so that juice appears. Now cover and refrigerate. It’s good if the meat is marinated for 8 hours (you can put it overnight), then when it’s ready, it will be fragrant and juicy. The next morning you can already fry it.
Lamb skewers with kiwi and lemon marinade
Kiwi does real miracles with meat! Lamb is a little harsh, but this fruit will make it soft and fragrant.
Ingredients:
- a piece of lamb meat - 500 gr.;
- P a tin of a kiwi fruit;
- cilantro - a small bunch;
- onion - 2 pieces;
- half a lemon;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- tomatoes - 1 piece;
- vegetable oil - 40 grams;
- highly carbonated mineral water - 150 ml;
Cooking process:
Cut a piece of lamb meat into medium portions, rinse under running water.
- Cut two peeled onions and a tomato into large slices, chop in a meat grinder or blender.
- Finely chop the garlic cloves and bunch of cilantro.
- Transfer all prepared ingredients to a deep container, squeeze out half. Then grind it and add it to the total mass, salt, pepper at your discretion, pour in the required amount of mineral water, mix everything well.
- To make the dish with a piquant zest, peel the skin of the kiwi, squeeze it into a container where all the ingredients are already mixed, pour in the right amount of vegetable oil, stir the mass again.
- Cover the container with food with a piece of cling film, put it in the cold and leave the future kebab there for 6-8 hours.
After the time has elapsed, the meat can be fried.
Lamb shashlik with kefir
Delicious lamb can be prepared by marinating the meat in kefir. According to the recipe described below, you will get a kebab without a specific smell inherent in sheep meat.
Ingredients:
- a piece of lamb - 1 kg;
- kefir - 200 ml;
- onion - 3-5 pieces;
- garlic - 1-2 cloves;
- barbecue seasonings - at the discretion of the cook;
- thyme - half a teaspoon;
- salt and black ground pepper - at the discretion of the cook.
Cooking method:
- Rinse a piece of meat well under running water, cut into medium-sized portions.
- Peel the required number of onions, cut them into slices and pass through a meat grinder. Finely chop the garlic cloves into plates with a knife.
- Transfer the chopped pieces of lamb meat to a container convenient for mixing, pour in as much thyme as you need, salt and pepper at your discretion, pour onion gruel here and add chopped garlic. Mix well.
- Add the required amount, stir the whole mass again, cover. Refrigerate and leave to marinate for 8-10 hours.
Spicy spicy kebab with kefir and yogurt
The peculiarity of this recipe is that the meat is tender, juicy and spicy. In addition, it has a slightly spicy taste and a sweetish note.
Marinade with kefir
Ingredients:
- sheep meat - 1 kg;
- kefir with a fat content of 2.5% - 400 ml;
- onions - 4-6 heads;
- powdered sugar - 1 teaspoon;
- salt, pepper - at the discretion of the cook.
Cooking process:
- Cool a piece of lamb, wash under running water, cut into medium portions and put in a deep container. Next, you can start preparing the marinade.
- Grate or chop half the onion through a meat grinder. Add gruel to meat, pepper and salt.
- Pour the required amount of kefir into a container with meat. Pour in powdered sugar, mix.
- Chop the remaining onion into rings and lay on the lamb. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 8-10 hours.
Marinade with yogurt
The preparation of the next marinade with will appeal to lovers of the sweetish taste of meat. Spicy, which is so important in meat, will give it a set of seasonings.
Ingredients:
- a piece of lamb - 0.5 kg;
- yogurt - 250 ml;
- marjoram - 1-2 pieces;
- paprika - 0.5 tablespoon;
- onions - 1 pc.;
- chili pepper - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 3-5 cloves;
- rosemary - 2 pieces.
Cooking process:
- Cut the lamb into cubes, convenient for stringing on a skewer.
- Grind the onion, garlic, chili, rosemary and marjoram cut (can be replaced with dry spices).
- Mix with pieces of lamb, pour everything with the required amount of yogurt. The meat should be infused for about 3-4 hours, but not in the cold, but in the room. After the time has passed, you can fry.
Great lamb skewers with soy sauce
Soy sauce contains the optimal amount of acid and is well suited for marinating lamb. Thanks to monosodium glutamate, which is in the sauce, the meat will not smell specific, which is typical of this product. It is not necessary to salt the kebab, as this component is enough in the sauce.
Ingredients:
- lamb - 0.5 kg;
- soy sauce - 50 ml;
- garlic - one clove;
- lemon juice squeezed from 1/3 of the fruit;
- sugar - 0.5 teaspoon;
- spices - at the discretion of the cook.
Cooking process:
- Grind the cloves, add soy sauce, lemon juice and spices to make a homogeneous mass.
- Pour the resulting marinade into a container with chopped meat, mix thoroughly so that all components are evenly distributed. Leave the meat to marinate for about 4-5 hours.
Lamb skewers with wine
The most suitable wine for pickling is dry red, thanks to which the meat becomes tart in taste.
Ingredients:
- lamb - 1 kg;
- onions - 3-5 heads;
- red wine - 200 ml;
- seasonings, salt - at the discretion of the cook.
Cooking process:
- Cut the prepared and washed piece of meat into portions, put in a bowl, salt, season and let it brew.
- Cut the onion into rings, fold into the meat. Pour in the wine, but so that it does not cover the contents of the container. Onion rings do not need to be mixed with meat, let them remain on top.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate. In the morning, the barbecue will be ready and the meat will be completely marinated. If the bowl with lamb and marinade is left in the room, then the marinating time is 4 hours.
How to cook lamb skewers in tomato sauce
Consider another version of a real lamb skewers. Not only spices, but also the marinade itself with tomato sauce will add a special zest.
Ingredients:
- lamb loin - 1 kg;
- tomato juice - 200 ml;
- onion - 4 pieces;
- garlic - 4-5 cloves;
- cilantro - a bunch;
- chili pepper - half a pod;
- half a lemon;
- vegetable oil - 40 ml;
- sweet paprika, turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin - at the discretion of the cook.
Cooking process:
- Peel the onions, cut into half rings and place in a container suitable for mixing.
- Chop the garlic into slices and add here. Chili pepper cut into rings. Wash cilantro and tear into pieces.
- Crush the whole mass in the bowl so that the juice stands out from it. Salt, season with pepper, paprika, turmeric, ground coriander, cumin, add the required amount of vegetable oil and tomato juice.
- Add a mixture of herbs and spices to the chopped, stir, put in the cold for several hours.
After the time has elapsed, the barbecue can be fried.
Recipe for lamb shish kebab with mineral water and bread
In many families, when marinating kebabs, they add mineral water to it, which will enrich the meat with carbohydrates, due to which it will be soft and juicy.
Ingredients:
- lamb - 1.5 kg;
- carbonated mineral water - 250 ml;
- medium lemon - 1 piece;
- one large tomato;
- one medium bulb;
- rye bread - 150 gr;
- pepper, salt, seasonings - at the discretion of the cook.
Cooking method:
- Rinse lamb meat under running water, cut across the fibers into small pieces.
- Transfer to a deep container, sprinkle with onion, cut into half rings, crush a little. Put the tomato slices in here as well. Leave all the contents to release the juice.
- Put slices of rye bread in another container. Squeeze the juice from the lemon here, pour the resulting mass with mineral water. Stir and put in a bowl with meat. Salt, season with spices and pepper.
- Stir and leave in the cold to marinate. The advantage of this marinade is that it softens the meat without disturbing its structure.
Recipe for lamb skewers with mayonnaise and mustard
Mayonnaise is considered the most popular and affordable product for marinating barbecue. And if you mix it with mustard, you get an excellent tandem of two foods.
Ingredients:
- lamb - 1 kg;
- onions - 3 pieces;
- mayonnaise - 100 grams;
- mustard - 100 grams;
- pepper, salt and spices - at the discretion of the cook.
Cooking process:
- Cut the meat into portions, put in a deep container, salt and pepper. Finely chop the onion and add it here. Mash to make juice.
- Mix mayonnaise with mustard, pour the mass into the meat, stir. Cover with cling film and leave for 5-7 hours.
Advice! The taste of the kebab will depend on which mustard you choose. Spices will add traditional Russian mustard. If fragrant meat of a mild taste is preferable, then it is better to buy sweet mustard - French or Dijon.
Lamb shish kebab is the most correct among all other varieties of meat fried on skewers. Initially, it was prepared only from lamb tenderloin. Today, this meat has been replaced everywhere by pork, but in Asia, in the Caucasus, herds of sheep are still raised, just as they did many centuries ago.
Meat selection
Not all lamb is suitable for grilling on skewers. If there are a lot of recipes for marinating lamb skewers, then there are only a few rules for choosing meat. Experts recommend choosing lamb meat that is no more than 1 year old. In appearance, its tenderloin is light red, and the layers of fat are almost white. In an adult or old ram, the meat is bright red, and the fat is yellow.
For cooking on the grill, such a part of the carcass as a ham, loin and ribs in the front is suitable. Here the meat is the most tender with a small amount of fat, soft and almost odorless. The back part is not suitable for lamb skewers, here the muscle fibers are very dense and tough.
Frozen tenderloin is not suitable for baking. During the defrosting process, the meat loses some of the juice, which is why it will be dry in the future. Therefore, going to the store or to the market, the products are checked for freshness. Good meat, when pressed, quickly restores its shape. Frozen and stale forms dents that may not disappear at all. In addition, when pressed, such pulp releases a lot of liquid - water with juice.
To buy a quality product, they choose fresh chilled tenderloin from trusted manufacturers, preferably farms that work without intermediaries.
Lamb preparation
Meat for barbecue should be a whole large piece, which is cut into cubes along the fibers. The size of one serving is 4 by 4 cm. If you managed to buy only a frozen product, it is thawed naturally or in cold water. So the meat will not lose juiciness in the future.
Portion pieces for barbecue
If you are lucky enough to get a young ham, you can make even more pieces of lamb for barbecue. They will have time to quickly fry without losing juiciness. Large pieces of fat, if any, are cut off, films are removed. When the ribs are cooked along with the barbecue, the largest of them are cut in half and marinated separately. Young tenderloin does not need to be pre-soaked in vinegar and other acids to soften the fibers.
Almost all vegetables go to kebab with lamb. Due to the large amount of juice that is released when grilled on charcoal, vegetables on skewers are soaked with it, becoming tasty and roasted. You can cook pieces of tenderloin both on skewers and on a grill or barbecue pan. Either way, it will be delicious.
Marinade recipes without vinegar
High-quality meat and the right marinade allow you to cook a juicy and tasty barbecue. Among the variety of recipes for marinating meat, there are those in which vinegar is the basis, and those where it is replaced by natural fruit or vegetable acids or other ingredients. Marinades without vinegar are preferable, as they do not harm the health of people with problems in the gastrointestinal tract.
Onions are an essential ingredient in all marinades.
Not all spices and sauces are suitable for lamb, here are the best of them:
- black pepper;
- Red pepper;
- turmeric;
- caraway;
- tkemali;
- garlic;
- spices.
The basis of the marinade is usually lemon juice, mineral water, yogurt, mayonnaise, sour plum sauce.
Recipe for shish kebab marinated with kiwi (for 2 kg tenderloin):
- Peel 3 pieces of kiwi and 1 orange from the skin, cut into small pieces.
- Cut 2 large onions into small cubes, crush with a knife so that the juice stands out, put everything in one deep container.
- Squeeze out the juice of half a lemon.
- Add herbs to taste and desire, pour 1 tsp. salt and ground black pepper, mix everything.
- Put the pieces of lamb into the resulting mixture, mix, cover the container with cling film and leave for 1-2 hours to marinate.
Marinating lamb for barbecue with kiwi is very convenient, as it allows you to soften the meat fibers in a very short time. Kiwi, orange and lemon contain fruit acids that are more effective than vinegar. Such a marinade is suitable even for old and tough meat.
Mineral water or plain water is often used as a marinade base.
Recipe for meat in marinade with mineral water (for 2 kg of product):
- Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon, combine with 500 ml of carbonated mineral water.
- Add 2 onions cut into rings.
- Finely chop 2 ripe tomatoes, add to the marinade.
- Sprinkle the meat with salt and black pepper and mix in a container with vegetables and mineral water.
The most delicious barbecue will turn out if you keep the meat in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Yogurt Marinade Ingredients:
- natural yogurt without additives 250 g;
- salt 2 tsp;
- a mixture of spices (ground ginger, black pepper, curry 0.5 - 1 tsp each);
- 2 cloves of garlic.
In such a marinade, the lamb is kept for 45-60 minutes and sent to the grill. It is better to use homemade yogurt for the marinade, which is guaranteed to be free of preservatives and other chemicals.
What else to marinate lamb in? As an option for the base for the brine, you can use fatty kefir, ketchup, tkemali sauce or homemade plum sauce with tomatoes. High-quality young meat can simply be sprinkled with spices and onion rings. After 1-2 hours, it can already be sent to the grill.
Classic marinade recipes
It is easier and faster to marinate lamb skewers in vinegar and spices. This is the most classic marinade option, used for all types of tenderloin. Salt, spices, vinegar are diluted in a bowl, chopped onions are added and left for 15 minutes, then poured into a container with meat, mixed thoroughly and left overnight in the refrigerator. In this way, the meat is guaranteed to be tender.
Caucasian lamb recipe with wine:
- 1 glass of dry grape wine;
- 3 large onions;
- 1 kg of meat;
- salt pepper;
- vegetable oil.
Pieces of tenderloin are first cut into pieces and sprinkled with a mixture of salt and pepper. Leave for 15 minutes.
Onions are cut into rings and poured with wine, vegetable oil is added. In another container spread the meat, alternating with a layer of onions. Everything is poured with marinade and left in the refrigerator for 7 hours.
You can marinate meat according to an interesting Turkish recipe, which can be considered a classic. Here, pureed tomato and tomato paste are used as the base. For 1 kg of meat you need 2 tomatoes and 1 tbsp. l paste. The meat is first sprinkled with salt and black pepper, chopped zira and hyssop are added, then poured with a tomato-tomato mixture. At the end add chopped garlic cloves and onion rings. In this form, the tenderloin should stand for 4-5 hours. Properly marinating lamb in Turkish is a slow approach to business and using only the best products.
Tomato and tomato juice contain acids that soften meat fibers well.
Express Marinade
The fastest and easiest way to cook marinated lamb for barbecue is to sprinkle it with spices and pour plain water over it. The main thing is to do it right. Pieces of tenderloin are laid out on a flat surface and generously sprinkled with salt, black and red pepper and any other spices intended for grilling.
The meat is mixed and laid out in a deep bowl. Fill with water. For 1 kg of meat, you need 1 glass of clean cool water. Next comes the most important moment. Hands need to knead the pieces of meat well so that the fibers lose their tone and become saturated with spices. After 30 minutes, the meat can be fried on coals.
For a quick pickle, a combination of mustard with soy sauce and spices is ideal. For a glass of mustard, they usually take 1 tbsp. l. sauce. Be sure to use coriander, black pepper and a lot of onions. The meat is kept in the mixture for 1 hour. This means that you can prepare lamb for grilling on the grill just before going out into the countryside.
Experts believe that the more spices are used for pickling, the more aromatic and tender the kebab turns out. In the following recipe, the base is tomato juice (1 cup) and olive oil (50 ml). The remaining ingredients are spices and herbs:
- black pepper;
- garlic;
- Red pepper;
- zira;
- coriander;
- sweet paprika;
- cilantro.
This is the optimal set of spices that are designed to improve and emphasize the taste of young lamb.
Everyone has their own, marinated according to special rules with their favorite set of aromatic spices. But the recipes proposed above are collected in regions where such a dish appeared a very long time ago, and people from early childhood understand the harmony of good taste.
In the countries of the East and the Caucasus, lamb is not an easy dish, but a special ritual. You can join it by knowing the secrets of how to marinate lamb so that it is soft, fragrant and tasty. If the cooked lamb has a specific smell, then you do not know how to marinate it. The right lamb marinade will correct these mistakes and allow you to enjoy the taste of meat no matter how it is cooked.
Products needed for the marinade:
- vinegar;
- a spoonful of oil;
- rosemary;
- Bell pepper;
- garlic;
- Carnation;
- chilli;
- black pepper;
- for 1 kg of lamb, take 1-1.2 kg of onion;
- salt.
Cooking principle:
- Grind black pepper with peas in a mortar or take already crushed, but then it will be devoid of a bright aroma.
- Add seasonings: rosemary, sweet and chili pepper. Mix everything so that their flavors combine.
- Pour oil into a bowl, mix it with vinegar, add chopped garlic.
- Peel and cut onions into rings. We take more onion, it depends on it what taste the lamb will have.
- Combine everything together, salt the meat and rub it well with your hands so that the onion releases the juice.
- Keep the lamb in the marinade for at least 24 hours.
This lamb kebab marinade is suitable for any other meat with a specific smell - venison or goat meat.
For baking in foil in the oven
Required products:
- coriander grains;
- a spoonful of wine vinegar;
- 2 tablespoons of oil;
- 6 spoons of honey;
- rosemary;
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard;
- chilli;
- Bay leaf;
- black pepper granular;
- salt.
Preparing the marinade:
- In a bowl, mix vinegar, honey, mustard and oil. Add dry spices, bay leaf.
- We leave the coriander in grains in combination with Dijon mustard, they will look beautiful on the meat after the baking process. You don’t need to remove them, this is the highlight of this recipe.
- We give the marinade to brew, rub the pieces of meat and stand for more than 12 hours.
Lamb wrapped in foil, put in the oven, cook for half an hour, maybe a little more (depending on the meat).
To make the lamb in the marinade soft, it is better to wrap it in foil or a roasting sleeve, so all the flavors will be preserved.
The most delicious recipe for frying in a pan
Required products:
- vinegar;
- vegetable oil;
- basil;
- dried garlic;
- paprika;
- marjoram;
- salt.
- Salt the pieces of meat, add dry spices, mix with a spatula. You do not need to do this with your hands, or use gloves, spices may irritate your hands.
- Pour in the oil and vinegar, mix again. Put under oppression, let it marinate for 1.5-2 hours. Use a jar of water as oppression, put a flat plate under the bottom.
- The more juice the meat releases, the tastier it will turn out and marinate faster.
According to this recipe, you can prepare not only for frying, but also a marinade for roasting lamb in the oven. It will also turn out delicious on the grill, do not be afraid to experiment!
How to marinate meat quickly
For cooking you will need:
- a bottle of mineral water, highly carbonated;
- vinegar;
- 3 onions;
- parsley;
- spices for meat;
- salt;
- rosemary;
- kiwi.
Cooking principle:
- Salt the lamb pieces, season with spices, pour in the vinegar and mix with a spatula. Instead of wine vinegar in the Caucasus, wine is often poured into the marinade, from which it benefits in taste.
- Grind the onion on a grater or blender, pour this gruel to the meat. Add finely chopped kiwi.
- Pour the contents with water to cover all the meat.
- Mix again, put under oppression so that the meat, tightly fitting, marinates faster.
- Let the meat rest for 40 minutes. Thanks to sparkling water and kiwi, the pickling process will be reduced several times.
This recipe will help out when you need to quickly cook delicious meat. Take note.
Kiwi marinade allows the meat to soften faster. It can be fried right away.
Marinade for lamb in the oven in the sleeve
Required products:
- lemon juice;
- paprika;
- cilantro;
- marjoram;
- dry garlic;
- salt.
The marinade is prepared as follows:
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl, pour in lemon juice.
- Chop the cilantro, it will give the lamb a wonderful aroma. If desired, you can add parsley and basil.
- Salt the meat, pour this marinade over and leave for 3-5 hours in a cool place.
- To speed up the process, add finely chopped kiwi, it will soften the meat well and quickly. Kiwi is added not only to barbecue, the fruit will be appropriate in any recipe. Before baking, it can be removed so that it does not burn.
- Meat is placed in the sleeve, wrapped with onion rings and baked.
Sheep meat is often used for barbecue. However, the indigenous people of the east, thanks to the spices and softening properties of the onion, successfully bake it in the sleeve and fry it.
Cooking with Vinegar
Required Ingredients:
- apple cider vinegar;
- wine vinegar;
- rosemary;
- hops-suneli;
- coriander;
- chilli.
The principle of cooking is as follows:
- Mix all dry ingredients, add salt.
- Pour the contents with vinegar: apple and wine. Two types of vinegar will give the product an original taste.
- Pour lamb with marinade, mix and put under oppression. Thanks to oppression, lamb is well saturated with marinade.
You need to prepare the following products:
- parsley;
- cilantro;
- basil;
- hot pepper;
- salt.
The marinade is prepared as follows:
- Crush the spices in a mortar so that they are crushed and give off their aroma.
- Chop greens and onion, add to meat. This is the most delicious recipe that contains a minimum of ingredients.
- Add spices, salt, mix. Coat the lamb pieces with the contents.
- Stand until the meat is marinated under oppression in a cool place.
- Roast on a campfire or barbecue. Onions can be served with meat, it turns out marinated and tasty.
Lamb is tender, tasty, healthy and environmentally friendly meat. The fact is that when growing sheep, antibiotics, hormones and other artificial additives are not used. Lamb contains easily digestible proteins, valuable vitamins, minerals, macro- and microelements, especially iron. There are certain subtleties and rules for cooking lamb that will help you avoid many mistakes and thanks to which the dish will turn out to be appetizing, juicy, fragrant and very tasty.
Choosing the right lamb
Many do not like it because of the special taste and aroma, so if you want to cook soft, odorless lamb, choose milk lambs, which eat milk and are still devoid of teeth. This tender meat has a pale pink tint and contains almost no fat, so it is considered dietary. Keep in mind that lambs are born from the beginning of the year to March, so a real dairy lamb can only be bought in winter and spring. Everything that is sold under the guise of dairy lambs at other times of the year, in fact, is not.
For lamb cooking at home, choose light red meat with white fat, as this is a sign of the lamb's young age. The meat of old animals is distinguished by maroon hues, yellow fat and a not very pleasant smell, which cannot be removed even by prolonged soaking, spices and fragrant herbs. In addition, an adult lamb is almost impossible to make soft. Although young lambs also have a specific aroma, it cannot be called unpleasant, so it’s still worth sniffing.
Good meat is elastic, with white bones (pink in dairy lambs), with dense and thick wax-like fat. A cut of good meat is moist, but not wet or slippery. Pay attention to the joints - in old animals they are always large and yellow.
Cooking lamb for cooking
If you are going to fry meat, give preference to the back of the animal, the back, shoulder and ham are suitable for barbecue. Very tasty and mouth-watering chops are obtained from the back and back, and for pilaf they usually take tenderloin, meat from the back and shoulder blades. The neck and drumstick are ideal for stewing and cooking minced meat dishes, while the loin and ham are usually used for grilling. Soups are boiled from the ribs or stewed with potatoes, a delicious jelly is prepared from the shank and the lower part of the hind leg.
First, remove the inedible tendons and tough film, then cut off the outer fat, leaving just a little so that the lamb is soft and juicy. For greater softness, lamb can be soaked in milk, vinegar or kefir for 2-3 hours or marinated, thanks to which it will be saturated with new flavors and turn into a real delicacy. Marinade is made from lemon and lime juice, honey, garlic, onion, spices, placed in a plastic bag along with pieces of meat and left for a day in the refrigerator. Marinades are made from wine, beer, olive oil, soy sauce, sparkling water and spices, and the marinade time ranges from 1 to 12 hours depending on the toughness of the meat. A very popular marinade with sour apple and garlic, which softens the specific taste of lamb. You can coat the lamb with horseradish or Dijon mustard with ground herbs, and after an hour and a half the meat will be ready for baking. A good marinade and sufficient marinating time for meat are important conditions for cooking odorless lamb.
Lamb in different cuisines of the world
Soups, pilaf, stews, roasts, barbecue, azu, sausages, cutlets, chops are prepared from lamb. Each country has its own recipes for cooking lamb. In oriental cuisine, meat is cooked with fruits and dried fruits, in the Mediterranean, in the process of cooking lamb, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil are added, in the north, meat is stewed with potatoes. The French cook lamb in white wine, with tomato paste, beans, smoked meats and parsley. The English wrap pieces of meat, rolled in spices, in cabbage leaves and bake them in the oven, pouring apple juice or cider over them. The Germans beat off a leg of lamb, marinate it in vinegar and wine, fry it and pour it over with egg yolk sauce. You can learn how to cook Azerbaijani kufta - minced lamb balls with chickpeas and potatoes, Uzbek soup shulyum with bell peppers and tomatoes, Georgian roast chanakhi with eggplant and barberry, hummus with lamb and almonds. Lamb goes well with marjoram, thyme, oregano, cumin, saffron and mint sauce, which perfectly masks the specific aroma of meat.
Simple cooking lamb: methods and secrets
Cooking. Lamb is best boiled in water or in a rich vegetable broth with herbs and spices, if desired, red wine is added for taste if the dish is not intended for children. Fresh mint is especially good, which ennobles the taste of meat, makes it bright and spicy. Put onions, garlic feathers, carrots and parsley root into the broth. It is important to lower the meat into boiling water, remove the foam and remove excess fat, which is the source of the "lamb" smell. Lamb is usually boiled for up to two hours, and its readiness is determined during the tasting process - the meat is easily separated from the bones, easily chewed and melts in the mouth. If you are afraid that lamb soup will smell strongly, add lemon juice to it at the very end of cooking, which will give the dish freshness and a pleasant aroma.
Extinguishing. Cooking lamb stew in a pan or in a slow cooker does not require much time and effort. The meat is stewed in any convenient thick-walled dish - a deep frying pan, a cauldron or in a slow cooker. Pieces of meat are laid out in layers, alternating with vegetables - onions, cabbage, potatoes, bell peppers, carrots and zucchini. Each layer is sprinkled with savory seasonings, everything is poured with water or vegetable broth and cooked for up to two hours. The stew, saturated with the aroma of spices, wine and vegetables, turns out to be very tender and appetizing.
Baking. Baked is especially tasty and fragrant. Usually they bake a whole large piece, such as a leg, or portioned pieces with slices of fruits, dried fruits and vegetables. Meat is cooked in a sleeve, in a special baking bag or on a baking sheet. Cooking lamb in the oven preserves vitamins and nutrients, gives the meat an exquisite taste and pleasant aroma. Before baking, lamb can be stewed or boiled, but it is permissible to bake meat and raw. Baking time depends on the thickness of the piece and can be up to 5 hours. Vegetables that cover the meat are saturated with its juice and fat, becoming juicy and tasty. It is easy to check the readiness of lamb - you just need to pierce the meat with a knife, and if pink juice stands out from it, the dish is ready.
Frying. Before frying, it is recommended to soak or marinate lamb, and then beat it off. Fry it in a hot frying pan for 5 minutes on each side - until golden brown. Lay the pieces fat side down in the pan for tender and juicy meat. Lamb is not recommended to be cooked for too long, as it becomes overdried and tough. The cooking time depends on the age of the lamb - the younger the lamb, the faster it is fried and stewed. Cooking lamb on the grill usually takes no more than 10 minutes. Well-done meat should be pink, tender and juicy.
It is customary to serve mutton to the table with heat, with heat and eat it hot, since mutton fat solidifies already at 40 degrees. Dishes with lamb are washed down with hot drinks and are not stored for a long time, as the meat quickly loses its taste. Lamb is served with fresh and cooked vegetables, herbs, potatoes and rice. These hearty dishes will diversify the daily menu and fill the long winter evenings with the family with warmth!
