The secrets of cooking meat for barbecue

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Shashlik is a type of grilled meat popular in Russia and most other former Soviet republics. It is traditionally cooked on a brazier, a box similar to a fire pit, using charcoal or firewood. As a rule, it uses beef, pork or lamb, previously placed in an acidic marinade overnight.

Surely, many people faced such a problem that the meat for barbecue became dry and tough when fried. How can this be avoided?

If we don't talk about cooking methods or equipment (professionals are more competent in this), then the main role is played by the right marinade. Many ingredients in its composition act on the meat in such a way that its fibers become tender.

Kebab lovers agree that a good marinade is the key to a juicy and tender charcoal-grilled product. Of course, you can buy ready-mix or processed meat in stores, but manyfolk recipes can offer much more interesting variations.

To make kebab meat tasty and juicy, a variety of ingredients are used: from kefir to vinegar and pomegranate juice. Some people like to use mashed onion made in a food processor, while others use onion chunks on skewers.

So, how to marinate the kebab so that the meat is soft? As a rule, marinades include the following components.

Fruit

Few people know that beef becomes very tender when you add kiwi pulp to it. It is believed that this fruit, as well as sour apples, contains enzymes that dissolve protein and connective tissue and make the meat literally melt in your mouth. This way you can prepare an excellent beef skewers. To keep the meat soft, marinate it in a mixture of fruit puree and your favorite spices. You can use slices of kiwi or apples. Just make small cuts in the meat and distribute the pieces of fruit in them, leave for several hours.

Citrus

Sour citrus pulp is a key ingredient in some marinades. You can use it on its own or in combination with soy sauce. This marinade is especially good for chicken barbecue.

The only caveat is not to marinate the kebab in citrus juice for too long or the acid will break down the fibers in the meat and change its texture.

Yogurt

When using yogurtyou can get tender fragrant meat that will literally fall off the bones. The combination of acid and calcium in this product activates enzymes that help break down protein. This is a great idea for marinating meat for barbecue.

Soy or Asian fish sauce

Instead of s alt or brine, try using soy or Asian fish sauce - they add flavor and s altiness and also tenderize the meat. For an original taste, you can marinate the kebab meat in soy sauce, lemon juice, and brown sugar. The taste of pork will be very original if it is kept in a mixture of fish sauce and the above ingredients.

Soda drinks

Of course, sweet sodas are not a traditional marinade ingredient, but their active substances make it possible to cook the most tender meat. For pork or chicken skewers, try using a mixture of Cola, orange and lemon juice. The acid in the products softens the meat, and the sugar adds a slight sweetness to it. It is also a very good idea how to marinate meat for barbecue.

You can use complex marinades that include several different active ingredients.

African style

Unlike the traditional barbecue, the South African braai is not cooked on skewers, but on a metal grill. But the process is essentially identical: first, small pieces of meat for barbecue (pork or beef) are marinated, then they are fried on coals. The cooking process will not causedifficulties even for a beginner.

First place the meat in a large dish and pierce both sides with a fork. Then add 5 to 10 drops of pineapple juice to each bite and pierce them again. Do not turn the meat during this time, leave it like this for 10-20 minutes. Then turn over, add pineapple juice, make holes with a fork on the other side. Wait another 10-20 minutes before moving on to the next step.

After the pineapple juice treatment, do the same with a little balsamic vinegar. This step is not essential, but it adds good flavor to the kebab meat (pork or whatever).

Pineapple juice and balsamic vinegar are both slightly acidic and tenderize the meat. The acid helps break down its structure. If you don't use pineapple, you can use any acidic fruit juice, even lemon juice. But don't leave it in pieces for too long. Pricking with a fork allows the juice and vinegar to penetrate deeper into the food.

Once you're done with the pineapple juice and balsamic vinegar treatment, it's time to use some spices. Add s alt, pepper (black or red), coriander and other seasonings you like. Sprinkle them on one side first, then quickly flip the meat over and work the other side. If you have more free time, rub the spices into the pieces with your fingers to help them penetrate deeper.

It is also recommended to sprinkle some brown sugar tomake the taste more interesting. This is an original way to make marinated meat for barbecue, and its essence is described below.

Seconds before you place the meat on the coals, drizzle a few drops of olive oil (10 to 20) on each bite. This will create a wonderful chemical reaction that, along with the pineapple juice, will make the kebab taste great.

Wait until the firewood burns out and coals form. Now quickly place the pieces of meat on a very hot grill with the oiled side down. At this point, a flame may appear briefly, but this is normal. Even if it lasts for 10-20 seconds, leave the meat alone. This is necessary for the Maillard reaction to occur.

The chemical process is named after chemist Louis-Camille Maillard, who first described it in the 1910s in an attempt to replicate biological protein synthesis. The sugar you add to the pineapple juice reacts with the amino acid in the meat and forms a complex mixture much like caramel. This reaction is widely used in the food industry.

However, this only happens at temperatures of 150°C or more, so the coals must be very hot. The purpose of adding olive oil is to briefly ignite the coals, raising the temperature above 150 °C for 10-30 seconds.

Don't turn the meat too often. In general, you shouldn't tip it from one side to the other more than four times before taking it off. The more you move it, the harder and tighter it will become as the juice flows out.

Asian version

Thisthe recipe for marinade for meat (kebab) is traditional in Uzbekistan, and it is very simple, compared to some other cooking options. Although according to Eastern tradition, lamb should be used, you can use any meat. For 3.5 kg of tenderloin, you will need 4 large onions.

Cut the meat into 3cm x 4cm cubes. Remove any excess fat from them. Otherwise, they may catch fire on the coals. Peel the onions and use a food processor or a sharp knife to cut them into rings. Add 1 teaspoon (teaspoon) of s alt, your favorite seasoning (you can use a store-bought spice mix for meat), 0.5-1 tsp. ground red pepper and sweet paprika, squeeze the juice of half a lemon and pour in 20 ml of vegetable oil.

Mix all the ingredients by hand and put the meat into the mixture. Leave it in the marinade for at least four hours. This will allow you to subsequently cook a delicious lamb skewers. It takes some effort to make the meat soft sometimes, as you can see.

Then put the lamb cubes on the skewers, separating them with the onion pieces. Clean off any excess marinade residue as it will burn when cooked. This kebab is usually cooked on an open flame. Unlike the previous recipe, this requires you to rotate the skewers frequently to ensure the meat cooks evenly.

Greek

In Greece, shish kebab is called souvlaki, and there it is no less popular than here. There are many traditionalrecipes that allow you to make an excellent charcoal dish.

So, how to marinate the kebab to make the meat juicy? First of all, use the best cut of meat you can afford and marinate it with lots of onions. Add herbs, spices and finally water.

The addition of water allows all the ingredients to better interact with each other and soak into the meat, keeping it juicy. S alt added to onions releases their juices. In addition, it contains an acid that can soften protein fibers.

You can add more sour foods to the marinade, but you won't need this when using good meat. Finally, it is recommended to sprinkle the barbecue with spicy paprika right on the coals. If this sounds too easy for you, use sparkling mineral water instead of tap water.

So, to cook the kebab according to the above tips, you will need:

• 2 kg lamb or any other meat (tenderloin);
• 4 bay leaves, torn in half;
• 4 chopped onions;
• 2 teaspoons tea s alt;
• 2 teaspoon peppers;
• 2 tablespoons olive oil;
• 1-½ glass of water;
• hot paprika.

How to marinate Greek-style barbecue meat and fry it

In a large bowl, combine meat, chopped onion, bay leaf, s alt, oil and water. Mix well with your hands and rub the ingredients, put in the refrigerator for several hours.

After, put the pieces of meat for barbecue on metal skewers, 6-7 pieces each. Prepare the grill. Put the charcoal in it and let it heat up for about 30 minutes or until it turns white. Place the skewers on the grill and fry the meat until cooked through. The cooking time directly depends on the temperature of the hot charcoal. Don't let the meat burn! Sprinkle with paprika while cooking.

Georgian version

Shashlik is especially popular in Georgia, and there are many ways to pre-prepare the meat. Traditionally, it is made from lamb, beef or pork, slowly roasted over hot coals. Some of the recipes call for curing the meat right before cooking, but the perfect marinade is made ahead of time. For it you will need:

• 2 kg pork shoulder or other meat;
• 3 white onions (chopped);
• s alt and pepper;
• 3 lemons;
• 5 bay leaves;
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander;
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme;
• finely chopped dill;
• 1 liter of beer or water.

Georgian kebab cooking process

Prepare the meat for marinating. Wash it and remove the veins and excess fat. Cut it into 3 x 3 x 3 cm cubes.

In a large and deep enameled or porcelain dish, sprinkle the meat with plenty of s alt and pepper, add bay leaf. Arrange the slices in layers separated by onion rings. Drizzle each layer with the juice of one lemon. Store inrefrigerator for at least 12 hours, but no more than two days. This way you get a good marinated meat for barbecue.

A few hours before roasting, remove the meat from the refrigerator and season it with coriander, thyme and dill. Then put the meat cubes on the skewers, placing the onion rings from the marinade between them. If you don't have skewers, you can replace them with thin hardwood branches.

Place the skewers on the grill. The coal should be hot, but there should be no flame. Turn the skewers gradually so that the meat is browned on all sides. Drizzle the kebabs with beer or water and lemon juice while cooking. When the meat is golden brown, make a small cut with a knife on the largest piece. If its middle is light pink (not red) and the juice flows clear (no blood), your kebab is ready.

Estonian version

Often when preparing meat for barbecue, many argue about whether to use vinegar. This option involves adding it. Vinegar slightly dries the meat, so you need to add a lot of onions to the marinade. It is also not recommended to use a tenderloin that does not contain streaks of fat. These are the basic rules for cooking pork skewers so that the meat is tender.

Traditional side dish will consist of fresh boiled potatoes and cucumber and tomato salad with sour cream and ketchup. To prepare Estonian barbecue recipe you will need:

• 1kg lean pork;
• 4 large onions;
• 2-3 garlic cloves;
• 2 table spoons of vinegar;
• 2 teaspoons fine s alt;
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper;
• 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Cooking Estonian barbecue

Cut the pork into thick slices, then into small pieces about 4cm x 4cm. Place in a large bowl.

Peel the onion and cut into thin rings. Add to bowl with minced garlic, s alt, pepper and sugar. Pour the vinegar over the top.

Now put on rubber gloves and rub the meat and onion rings for about 10-15 minutes so that the onions release their juices and the seasonings are absorbed into the pork. The meat should change its dark red color to a lighter shade. Cover the bowl and let the kebab marinate for 24 hours.

Stick the pieces of meat on skewers and grill over hot coals until cooked through.

Turkmen version

Turkmenistan is probably one of those countries where they first began to cook such a dish as shish kebab. It can be safely considered native to Central and Western Asia. The main technique for its preparation here also involves pre-marinating the meat in an acidic liquid for several hours before frying. Traditionally, lamb is used for barbecue, but you can use beef or pork, chicken or even fish.

On skewers, pieces of onion or bell pepper are often added to the meat. Thanks to this neighborhood, it remains juicy and acquires a variety of flavors. So, for a Turkmen kebab of beef or lamb meat, yourequired:

• 500 grams boneless lamb or beef cut into cubes (5 x 5 x 5 cm);
• 1 large onion, chopped;
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar;
• ¼ cup dry red wine;
• 3 garlic cloves, minced;
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander;
• ¼ teaspoon crushed pepper (optional);
• ½ bunch parsley (finely chopped);
• ½ teaspoons tea s alt;
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper;
• ¼ cup vegetable oil.

Cooking Turkmen food

Mix all ingredients in a glass bowl. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for several hours to one day.

After drain the marinade and wipe the meat with paper towels. Remove the marinade and onion from it. Divide the pieces evenly among four skewers and grill on a grill (preferably using charcoal) for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Put the prepared skewers with meat on a dish and serve immediately. Serve hot tortilla and vegetable salad as garnish.

Variant with tomatoes and red wine

Grated onion in a red wine garlic marinade helps to tenderize meat that can sometimes become tough during the sautéing process. This recipe is an original answer to the question of how to marinate kebab so that the meat is juicy. To implement it, you will need:

• 4 garlic cloves (chopped);
• 4 coarsely grated tomatoes;
• 1 medium onion, coarsely grated;
• 1 glass of dry red wine;
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro;
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper;
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano;
• 1 teaspoon paprika;
• 2 kg boneless meat (pork or any other), cut into 5 x 5 x 5 cm cubes;
• vegetable oil;
• s alt and freshly ground pepper;
• lavash for serving.

Cooking meat in red wine

In a large bowl, combine garlic, tomatoes, onion, wine, chopped cilantro, red pepper, oregano and paprika. Add meat and mix well with your hands. Cover and leave overnight.

Spread the meat on eight metal skewers, leaving a small distance. Drizzle with olive oil and season with s alt and pepper. Roast over moderate heat, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes. Serve with sprigs of greens and hot tortilla. You can also use this recipe to make barbecued meats. To do this, marinate pork or beef according to the instructions above, then place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake the pieces for 30-40 minutes.