The softest part of pork for barbecue. What meat is better to take for barbecue: pork, beef, lamb or poultry

Soft juicy shish kebab is associated with spring holidays. It is pleasant to eat it in the summer at the cottage. Shashlik has long been a hit in many countries around the world. A dish of Caucasian cuisine does not need additional advertising. However, the success of cooking depends, first of all, on the correct choice of raw materials. Shish kebab is fried on the basis of pork, beef or lamb. Let's look at the important aspects.

Freshness is the main criterion

1. It doesn’t matter what kind of meat you cook barbecue from, the raw materials must be fresh. It's easy to determine. A quality piece does not have mucus on the surface, it is free of blood and foreign fluid.
2. Equally important is the structure of the meat. Dense elastic specimens are suitable for barbecue. Look at the shade of the cut, a good kebab will come out of a bright red piece.
3. The surface must be damp, but not wet. Feel the selected raw material, make sure that it is not sticky. When pressed, a transparent juice will stand out from a composition suitable for barbecue.
4. It is easy to identify a stale product: it is wet, sticky, with cloudy secretions and an unpleasant odor. The aroma of good raw materials will not cause you a negative reaction.
5. Meat that has good freshness is firm. This means that the piece was not previously frozen / thawed. Otherwise, it will be loose and too wet.
6. Click on the selected instance with your finger. If the resulting hole quickly levels out, the piece holds its shape, you can safely buy it. In cases where freshness is in doubt, the indentation will level out slowly.
7. Pay attention to the streaks of fat. If the raw material is not intended for consumption, the fat usually has a gray-yellowish tint and a sticky surface. Sometimes it is cloudy with matte overtones.

Good meat - young

1. The most juicy shish kebab is obtained from young meat. It needs to be fried and marinated less, moreover, such a product, even for the most inexperienced chef, comes out excellent.
2. Ask the seller about the age of the meat. The older the animal, the darker the color of its meat. This means that the muscles will make the dish rubbery.
3. Judge by shade. A fryable copy is not glossy, but not matte either. It has a uniform shade with a natural color palette. Beef is red, lamb is reddish with white stripes, pork is pink.
4. If the color is too dark, the animal is many years old. To make it easier to determine the age category of raw materials, you need to take a thin layer of meat and try to tear it. A suitable product is easily torn.

Type of meat - chilled, steamed, frozen

1. Meat that has undergone a freezing procedure is suitable for barbecue only if it has been subjected to the procedure 1 time. The repeated procedure is unacceptable, the composition becomes loose and tasteless. It is easy to distinguish such a product: touch it with a fingertip, remove your hand. If a dark circle has formed at the point of contact, the meat can be eaten. When the product is frozen 2 or more times, there will be no stain.
2. Meat is considered paired if about 3-4 hours have passed since the moment of slaughter. Many people believe that this is the piece that should be preferred. But this statement is erroneous. As a raw material for barbecue, this type of meat is the most unsuitable. After frying, the piece will be rubbery, it is extremely difficult to chew. This aspect is due to the fact that after slaughter the muscles of the animal are not relaxed. The meat will have to be pre-aged before frying.
3. Chilled meat is also suitable. His taste is beyond praise. Subject to storage conditions (temperature from 0 to 4 degrees), the kebab will turn out tender, juicy and very pleasant in taste. Particular attention is paid to the marinade, do not use vinegar, so as not to spoil the dish.

Important!
If you choose chilled meat, you need to distinguish it from frozen. When pressed, a clear juice will stand out from the piece, while a darkish circle will remain on the meat. If the meat has been thawed and refrozen several times, the raw material will be too wet. Good meat is moderately moist.

1. The Caucasian people have long cooked shish kebab exclusively on the basis of lamb meat. The most juicy, tender and fragrant dish will be made from lamb up to 60 days old.
2. As a rule, young lambs are sent to slaughter in mid-spring. Therefore, if your meal did not fall on this period, you will not be able to enjoy such lamb. In this case, choose raw materials up to a year old.
3. Lamb kebab will turn out to be extremely tasty if it is cooked from the pulp taken from the hind legs. A tenderloin or loin is also ideal. Ribs are reluctant to fry, but if you like to gnaw on bones, they will do too. It is important to remember that lamb skewers are eaten immediately, then it becomes tasteless.

The subtleties of choosing pork meat

1. Most people who often cook barbecue prefer pork. First of all, it is important to know that the animal product should not be too fatty.
2. To prepare a delicious kebab, it is recommended to take neck meat, which is located on the neck and along the ridge. In this case, the fat streaks are evenly distributed. In the end, you will get a juicy kebab.
3. No less popular in this matter are tenderloin, ribs and loin. If you take the meat along the ridge, do not forget to cut off the fat. Dry barbecue is obtained if you take a ham. In this part of the carcass, the minimum percentage of fat.
4. If you purchased meat from a ham, it is recommended to marinate it thoroughly, taking more time. Pork is good because almost all of its parts are suitable for frying on skewers.
5. The only question remains how and how much to marinate each part. You should not buy pork meat from the back of the animal. In this case, the marinade will not help, the kebab will turn out dry and tough.

The subtleties of choosing beef meat

1. Few people use beef meat for barbecue. In this case, the dish turns out to be tougher, unlike pork. You can devote more time and attention to make the barbecue tasty and juicy. The pickling procedure is recommended to be carried out in a highly carbonated mineral water.
2. If you decide to cook barbecue from beef, you should buy fillet or meat from the chest. For the dish, you can also take the back of the leg. Meat is better to choose from the inside. To cook a unique barbecue, it is recommended to purchase a fillet of a young calf.

Rules for cutting meat

1. It is recommended to cut the meat into medium-sized pieces. Small specimens are quite dry. Large pieces of meat, in turn, may not be fried inside. Ideally, it is recommended to chop the meat into shapes resembling a cone.
2. You should not seriously go into such trifles, the classic pieces of square-shaped meat will not become less tasty from this. To determine the size of the future barbecue, try to visually imagine that about 6 pieces should fit on the skewer.

The subtleties of the marinade

1. To cook a truly delicious barbecue, it is not enough to get the right cut of meat. The most important aspects remain preparatory measures and the correct marinade.
2. The juiciness and taste of the meat will depend on the manipulation carried out. Also, the dish should turn out to be fried and tender. Give preference to marinade to your taste. Nowadays meat can be prepared in different ways.
3. Be sure to use onions, a classic ingredient without which the dish will not be as tasty. Choose the right utensils for the procedure. It is not recommended to marinate meat in a plastic or aluminum container.
4. If the meat is in such a dish for a long time, the product begins to absorb harmful compounds. During cooking, toxins will not evaporate anywhere. There is a risk of getting poisoned. It is also not recommended to marinate meat in a wooden container.

To cook a delicious and tender kebab, you need to take a responsible approach to the procedure for choosing meat and marinating it. First of all, decide on the type of dish. Do not be stingy and get a quality product. Remember, the younger the meat, the tastier the dish will be.

Video: how to choose the right meat

Meat is usually grilled main dish, and picnics are often arranged with the main goal - to eat barbecue. To make your barbecue perfect, you need to choose the right meat for it, cut it, marinate it correctly and cook it.

If you not a professional barbecue, our advice will help you not to be disappointed.

How to choose meat for barbecue?

The traditional barbecue is made from pork or lamb, but some barbecue lovers do not always know how to choose it correctly. After all, it’s so insulting if the barbecue turns out to be tough, greasy or sinewy, although, it would seem, the meat looked pretty good.!

Do not buy frozen meat in the store, as there is a big risk that you will not get what you need. Moreover, fresh meat is much tastier. If you have a good piece of frozen meat in your freezer, you can slowly thaw it, marinate it, and cook it, as long as it hasn't been frozen several times.

Before buying, inspect the meat well and make sure that it has not been thawed: it no traces of snow, bloody smudges, and there is no puddle of water underneath.

The color of the meat should be light and in no case dark red, this may be a sign that the meat is old and tough. Bright red meat may indicate the use of dye. Also, the meat should be glossy, not matte.

Smell the meat, its smell should be completely neutral and not sharp. If you experience discomfort, stop buying immediately probably the meat is not very fresh.

For pork skewers choose neck area. Ask the seller to give you this particular part. Unfortunately, if your eyes are not trained, you cannot always distinguish the neck from some other parts of the carcass, so rely on the honesty of the seller or contact only to a trusted butcher.

In the pig neck are usually present veins and fat streaks- this is the most it! However, they must be thin. Do not take meat without layers of fat at all - there is a risk that the kebab will turn out dry. The secret is that a thin layer of fat melts during cooking.

The meat must be elastic and not sticky to hands, when pressed, a hole should not form.

WITH chicken meat there are usually no problems with the choice, however, you should make sure that the chicken is fresh and not thawed. By the way, it is very easy to determine the freshness of chicken meat by smell: fresh chicken should not smell like anything at all, and one that has been in the refrigerator for several days or has just been thawed, acquires a smell, which increases over time.

What meat is best for barbecue?

What kind of meat to choose for barbecue, depends on your preferences and wallet. Pork, lamb and veal are usually not the cheapest options, but chicken is cheaper and just as tasty when cooked right.

Meat, of course, should be fresh but not steamy, because it is known that he should lie down for some time under the right conditions. Remember that fresh meat is usually much tougher than aged meat.

The most traditional meat for barbecue is pork. If you are not on a diet, and your religious beliefs allow you to eat pork, then why not choose this meat? Young pork is very tender, and the right piece will non greasy but not dry.

What's more, pork meat is delicious even when it's cold. You should choose neck area or tenderloin, these areas of the pig carcass do not move much during the life of the animal, so they are more tender and tasty. A good pork neck for barbecue looks like this:

Mutton- expensive and very specific meat, which is not always tasty, and sometimes can have unpleasant specific odor which not everyone can bear.

If you are convinced that you have the right piece of a young animal, then you can safely cook it. This meat is not particularly tasty when it is cold, so it should be eaten immediately after cooking. Usually take back leg, ribs or loin young lamb.

Beef. Best for barbecues calf meat, since the meat of an adult cow is quite tough and can ruin your entire table. Veal- dietary meat, so it is ideal for those who are afraid to get better and follow their figure. The best pieces for barbecue are usually considered loin and tenderloin.

Chicken. Usually, for cooking chicken barbecue, its fatty parts are used: legs, drumsticks, thighs, wings. Can also be used brisket, however, it is not very oily, so it can turn out dry. To prevent this from happening, pieces of meat are wrapped in thin bacon, strung on skewers and thus fried. The same applies to turkey meat.

Delicious kebabs are made from quail meat. These little birds taste a bit like chicken, but they have their own special and unique taste. To prepare quail skewers, they can be put on skewers, fried whole on grills, stuffed with dried apricots, rice and raisins, or cut carcasses on one side and flatten them on grills. It should be remembered that tender poultry meat is cooked very quickly, so it is important not to overdo it!

rabbit meat. Rabbit meat is highly valued and not always easy to get, but if you manage to do it, try to make a barbecue out of it, you won't regret it. First of all, rabbit meat is valued for delicate taste and dietary properties of meat. Portion pieces are marinated like any other meat, with spices and onions, then grilled. You can put pieces on skewers, or you can fry the whole carcass.

How much meat for a barbecue?

Many who want to cook barbecue in nature, especially if they rarely do it, are wondering, how much meat should be taken so that everyone has enough. Of course, it is better to take a little more meat and be calm that no one will go hungry.

Take on average 300 grams of raw meat per person, but this is only if you have many other different snacks and side dishes, including mushrooms and potatoes. If, in addition to meat, there are only light vegetables, then it is better to take more of it - 500 grams per person.

These are average indicators when there are women and children in the company, but if it is a purely male company, which also takes a lot of alcohol with it, the amount of meat is likely to increase, since alcohol usually requires more food.

How to cut meat for barbecue?

Pork, lamb or veal meat should be cut into medium pieces, the size of which can be determined by placing a piece completely in the palm of your hand. On average, each piece should be 5 by 5 centimeters.

When you put the meat on the skewers, make sure that it won't fall off. If a piece is too big, it won't fit in the palm of your hand. Moreover, large pieces will not bake well, and too small ones will be dry.

Chicken is often bought already cut - separately legs, wings, white meat. If you are making white meat skewers, they should be cut into square pieces about 4 by 4 centimeters.

One of the options for cutting chicken. The red strings show cut places.

The rabbit can be cut as follows portion pieces:

And you can bake on the grill whole:

Quails do not need to be cut, but can be cut along the breast and spread back up:

If you have several pieces of meat, from which, in your opinion, not the best barbecue will come out, it does not matter. You can use them for cooking kebab skewers, which is also called lula kebab.

This oriental dish is cooked on the grill. He needs meat pass through a meat grinder, and then make minced meat, as for cutlets (with the exception of eggs and bread).

Thread the minced meat onto a skewer with a diameter of about 5 centimeters, and then roast over the coals like a regular barbecue.

How to marinate meat for barbecue? barbecue marinade recipes

There are a lot of barbecue recipes, it all depends on individual preferences. Often they use those seasonings that are at hand, but go best with barbecue thyme, bay leaf, rosemary. All recipes include onion. There are several classic methods for marinating pork for barbecue:

- In kefir: This method is ideal for kebabs that need to be marinated quickly before cooking. For 1.5-2 kg of meat, about 0.5 liters of ordinary kefir is used. Kefir quickly softens the meat and penetrates into it, so if you leave the meat in this marinade for too long (for example, overnight), it will become sour. Marinate the meat in kefir for no more than 4 hours. By the way, for a quick marinade onion is better to grate, rather than cut into rings.

Recipe:

Cut 1.5 kg of pork neck into medium pieces, pour 500 ml of kefir, add 1 teaspoon of sugar, 5 medium onions cut into thick rings, salt, chili pepper (to taste), 2 tablespoons of curry seasoning. Mix everything, leave to marinate for 2-4 hours, preferably in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator.

- in vinegar: Some kebab lovers have long abandoned this method of marinade, believing that vinegar spoils the taste of the kebab. Vinegar, however, imparts a distinctive flavor to meat when added in moderation along with seasonings. In vinegar, you can marinate kebabs all night.

Recipe:

Pepper and salt the washed and dried pieces of meat, put in a bowl. Between the layers of meat place chopped onion rings, chopped parsley, cilantro. Pour the layers evenly during laying with vinegar diluted in water in a ratio of 1 to 1. The meat should not float in the water. Leave to marinate for 10-12 hours.

- in mayonnaise A: This is one of the most popular marinade methods. Marinated meat in mayonnaise can lie for about a day, while its taste will become even more saturated.

Recipe:

For 1 kg of pork, take 200 grams of your favorite mayonnaise, preferably with a pronounced taste. Add a few tablespoons of spices for kebabs, 3 onions, chopped into rings, a couple of tablespoons of mustard, salt, pepper to taste. Mix everything thoroughly and leave to marinate overnight.

- in beer: Beer will also help you marinate the kebab quickly - in 3-4 hours, giving it a peculiar beer flavor. For beer lovers, that's it.

Recipe:

Take 1.5 kg of meat, divided into pieces, pour a bottle of light beer (0.5 ml), mix with onion rings (3 heads), crushed garlic (7 cloves), 3 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of dry rosemary, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 1/3 cup olive oil, salt. During frying, you need to water the meat with this liquid marinade.

- in wine: Sometimes barbecue is marinated in dry red wine. The meat acquires from this a peculiar wine taste and a dark burgundy color. Not everyone likes this marinade, so if you are making it for the first time, it is better to first make a small batch to try. You can use white wine instead of red.

Recipe:

For 2 kg of barbecue, take 0.5 ml of dry red wine, 5 onions, a teaspoon of sage, thyme, parsley, 1 grated apple. Mix everything and leave to marinate overnight (10-12 hours).

How to cook the right meat for barbecue?

After you have poured the marinade over the meat, cover the pan with a lid and put something heavy on top. This will allow the meat to be pressed down, it will better absorb the marinade. If the meat is marinated overnight, it is better to place it in the refrigerator. No need to refrigerate for a quick marinade. Before frying, it is better to stir the meat.

For grilling it is recommended to take grilled coals(but not hard coal) or firewood trees like birch, aspen, oak and other deciduous trees. Coniferous firewood contains a lot of fragrant essential oils and resins that can spoil the taste of the dish.

Putting pieces of meat on skewers should not be too close to each other, but not too far, between the pieces you can place onion rings or chopped vegetables.

To prevent the meat from burning too much, brush the pieces before putting it on the grill. vegetable oil.

When preparing barbecue can't get away from it! This is an important rule that is often overlooked. It is necessary to constantly monitor that the tongues of the escaping flame do not set the meat on fire, otherwise it will burn on top, and remain raw inside. To do this, you must be ready a container of water or some kind of drink(can be wine or beer) or liquid marinade, which will extinguish the flame. Coals should smolder, not burn.

You can check the readiness of the barbecue with a knife. The finished meat will not have blood inside. However, barbecue with blood also has the right to exist, there are lovers of undercooked meat.

Before serving, do not immediately cut the meat from the skewers and cut it, wait 5 minutes after removing it from the heat, covering the barbecue. Then the meat will be more juicy.

So, in order to start cooking a real and tasty barbecue, you must first choose the right meat. What kind of meat should you buy? Someone loves only lamb, others do not eat pork, and still others eat any meat. For a good barbecue, pork is great, not very fatty, only fresh and not frozen. What part of the pork to take for the best result? I would not risk other parts of the pig meat, only to be disappointed later. Take the neck, and that's it. But, and right there, I will make one reservation. It has such a center, without veins, slightly pink in color, which goes along the spine on both sides. So, it is also not suitable for barbecue. And even if she gets on a barbecue, and this can always happen, then you will immediately start chewing like a chicken breast and without much taste pleasure, no matter what seasonings you use. Like all butchers, I will also assure you that frozen meat loses its main taste properties. Although, what can I say, our brother cannot take something for nothing. It happens that somewhere fresh meat is found, but also over time it does not always work out. Therefore, listen to at least one piece of advice: do not marinate meat frozen or still. cold, let it first thaw to room temperature and drain all the blood water. Pay attention to the color of the meat: if the meat is faded, dried up, then it is not fresh and the barbecue will not work out of it. Conclusion: fresh meat, frozen, is better than not fresh! And draw the right conclusion yourself!

First, rinse the meat with running water and dry it with a paper towel. Who knows how and who pawed him before you, and the moisture in the pickle is not needed, absolutely. If you buy meat at the market early in the morning, marinating according to this recipe right away, then in the evening you can safely turn it on the grill!

We figured out the meat, by the way, the lamb will be even tastier, and I have been convinced of this more than once and, always, I will affirm this. I had a chance to somehow cook a barbecue for a purely Turkish society, they bought the meat for me themselves. What was mo. surprise that they snatched pieces of meat almost out of their mouths even from others! The lamb was marinated exactly according to this recipe! Therefore, I still try to treat my dear and respected guests with fresh lamb!

Using this method, we cut the meat into transverse washers 3-4 cm wide, then into identical pieces, removing the bar and tendons. Strongly do not get carried away with the removal of fat, this will give some juiciness. After a good workout, you can get the same as mine, where each shelf with meat comes out with a difference of two to five grams !!! With low-fat lamb, it is recommended to put fat tail fat between the meat. Let's leave this topic for lamb lovers.

Now the ingredients for pickling and the whole secret of my dish. We take from the calculation, let's say, 3-4 kilograms. The main system for marinating meat is not what ingredients to put there, it is even very important - in what order!

1. Salt (about 4-5 tsp). I’ll say right away that everyone has different tastes, I personally don’t add salt to anything on the table, I never even salt eggs or tomatoes. Two chemical compounds, sodium and chlorine, which make up salt, do not give anything good for the body, and the bones will spoil until arthrosis. Let's not talk about the fact that salt is simply necessary, it is impossible to do without it, etc. But under-salted kebab will be very inopportune, so it needs to be well and properly salted.

2. Black pepper and, I emphasize, LARGELY ground, as in the picture. No "dust" from the pepperbox! Better yet, crush the peas with the plane of the knife and then cut a little with the tip. When you chew the meat, these grains will give you a pleasant taste sensation. How many? 15 - 20 peas!!! Want more, for an amateur! By the way, black pepper is very useful for the body!!! Do you know vodka with pepper for colds? So, it is not vodka that gives a healing reaction, but black pepper itself!

3. Coriander. She is also cilantro. I think you are familiar with this name. Again, the question is how much? I think that also 15-20 peas will be enough. They need to be crushed in a mortar, first lightly fried. It may already be sold ground. But, in no case, maybe I, and I repeat, overdo it with seasonings - DO NOT! Otherwise, you will not get the real taste of meat. If the coriander is already ground: a little more than half a tsp. More precisely, it will be like in the photo. I have seen green cilantro skewers marinated, but in order to advise you, you need to check it yourself. I haven’t tried it - I don’t know, although I’ll definitely try to marinate it like that as soon as the opportunity arises.

4. Basil. I have it in a jar, dry. Sold in almost all stores. Take as much as ground coriander. In a teaspoon size, this is 1/2, a little more can be! This herb does not have such a sharp and pungent taste.

5. Thyme. He is the Thyme. One of the Asian spices, from which dry thyme greens are used. In small quantities, it complements vegetable and meat dishes, as well as various salads. The use of thyme dates back to ancient Greece, where it symbolized courage. Roman soldiers bathed in thyme-infused water to gain strength, energy, and courage. In the Middle Ages, girls embroidered a sprig of thyme on the scarves of knights for courage. How many? Per kilogram - one, two pinches, rubbing lightly with your fingers.

6. Zira, she is Zra, she is Kumin. Do not confuse with cumin or dill. Such things do not go to the barbecue at all. Look in stores, with friends and it will pay off for you! I have not seen it in German stores, but in Russian stores there is for sure! Quantity? A very specific seasoning, a little less than half a tsp will suffice. Zira is very specific in taste, so be careful in its quantity. Zira is very similar to dill, do not confuse!

7. Bay leaf, a couple of pieces. Let it even break into small pieces there when mixed. When you put meat on skewers, noticing it, just put it aside. They don't eat it!!!

8. Red pepper, paprika. Ground, sweet. You can have a teaspoon without a "slide". It will give a little desired flavor and a beautiful color when frying. Want to add spice? One clove of crushed garlic, add a hot, capsicum, but I warn you that the taste of the meat can be very overpowered, I think you don’t need this, because you wanted a real kebab, right?

9. Bulb onion. We cook in two ways: onions, which are smaller - in meat, larger onions - for a snack. First, cut large onions and only rings. Rings must be separated from each other. We sort it out neatly and separately add the rings to the dose, and mix everything else with the meat. Eat barbecue rings! And not some kind of waste or ponytails, chopped at random. Aesthetic culture and accuracy should be present in the first place! Approximately 5-6 bulbs will suffice. As some write, it seems to me that there will be a lot of onion 1: 1, just cut it correctly so that it gives the juice. For convenience, in the second way, you can pass the onion through a meat grinder, and then squeeze the resulting mass through gauze. This is what I use, it’s very convenient and I don’t have to mess with onion waste. It is even easier to pass through a juicer, it will be more practical, but there will be more trouble with washing the machine. The next day, onion rings can be sprinkled with vinegar diluted with water and sprinkled with red or black pepper, as you like!

10. Sunflower oil, do not confuse with olive oil, 5-6 tablespoons. Yes, yes, you absolutely heard right, sunflower oil! Imagine for yourself that you threw the meat into a frying pan, without oil. And, no matter how non-stick pan you have, any meat will simply start to burn. This is what happens in the pictures of other kebabs, where charred edges stick out, and you need to chew them, because spitting them out is ugly, and simply inconvenient. Add the oil after all the added, mixed seasonings, in exactly the same sequence as it is written.

It looks like, someone, fried, in the picture, meat: a. pickled without oil;
b. too finely chopped onion and not all of it was removed;
V. this is the meat that goes along the neck pruning,
slightly pink in color, does not change its shape after pickling and does not have a real, juicy taste. How did it get burned? Can this be called barbecue?

11. And now, having put everything that is written above into the meat, passing between the fingers, we begin to mix everything well, adding an equally important and, even I will say, effective product, this is LEMON. A good-sized lemon will suffice for half. Just be careful, squeeze out only when everything is already mixed with seasonings and oil. Getting a lemon on clean meat, it will immediately become a "stake", as after vinegar, so vinegar simply does not go into the barbecue.

Vinegar can be poured over already fried barbecue.

12. A quarter, maybe a half, of natural pomegranate juice will add even more compliments to you and even more reliably hide the clue to your recipe! Pomegranate, in the summer, you are unlikely to find it anywhere, and it is better to neglect juices in the store. Many tests show that the pomegranate was not even nearby. So, let's leave your experiment until late autumn.

All this is thoroughly mixed and left tightly covered in a saucepan, pressing down on top with a plate suitable, approximately in diameter. Put something heavy on top and leave it until tomorrow. Although, as I mentioned above, if the meat is fresh, then it will also marinate for the whole day. In the morning, mix everything, now enjoying the smell that will already come from the meat. You can even lick it or bite it off, now there is nothing terrible in this meat.

And this is how fresh, soft, vigorous, pickled meat should look like. It can be immediately distinguished from bad meat. Conclusion: be friends with the butcher, at least find out on what days he slaughters. Exceptional case if you do it yourself. I will now also pay attention to the barbecue. It must also meet certain criteria. It is best to have iron, and even better with stainless steel, the thicker its walls, the better. It will retain heat better and fry the extreme pieces.

And do not torture yourself with hunger, making barbecue on bricks or somewhere on hanging chains.

My barbecue looks like this: length - 60 cm, height 15 (from the grill) and width 22 cm. The main mistake of those who make barbecues: the grill should not have a large number of holes. Let it be better to have a quarter of the bottom of the brazier at all only from the lattice, the rest is solid iron. You will see how the meat will simply blush, and fry to the full depth. And most importantly, it will not flare up under the flames of fire, where the meat will immediately take on a smoky color and lose the taste we all need. Do you want to eat soot??? Me not!!! Smoking is a completely different topic and in this case it simply will not be appropriate.

This brazier is for a small company or a field trip. At the moment, in the photo, my newest brazier is being tested. Now, when Sun. behind and the meat is eaten, I can say with confidence that he did not pass the test 100% and now there are some drawbacks: along the edge of the hole-free bottom, along, I made holes, after five centimeters and now everything is fine! Yes, there was still no damper for the blower, so I had to remove the meat from the place where the grate was, my welder said that he would fix this matter.

Also, I will not focus on the fact that the meat should be fried in a good heat all the time, turning and, in no case, should not be doused with flames. Let the coals burn well, fan the ashes, and only then do the most beautiful thing in this art - fry the barbecue! Every self-respecting barbecuer should know this!

Next to the barbecue there is all my yummy marinated and put on skewers! Everything is very convenient, practical! As for lamb: be especially careful! If you overcook it, the meat will turn into dry and stale balls. Good, fresh meat is cooked quickly, just a couple of minutes is enough. Women especially need to learn one truth. they often confuse juice from fried meat with blood, so they ask for more toast. Although the meat is already quite ready.

And I will open my tradition to everyone. When the coals are hot, I always roast just one stick first. For the success of the event, I will pour a glass of good red wine and evaluate the quality of the future barbecue. I will give the guests a try, albeit not for everyone, teasing them to the limit. And then it went - let's go!

I, personally, had cases when close friends, one even a butcher by education, lost the power of speech while eating. And after 5-6 sticks, exhaling, he said that he had never eaten such a barbecue! Now, by the way, pickles just like that!

No need to make meter-sized skewers. By the time you get to the last piece while eating, it will already be cold. Secondly, waving a “sword” at the table, saying what a delicious barbecue, you can gouge out a good friend’s eye. And how wonderful it is to eat barbecue from a skewer when it is still hot. In this case, I use my own, short, total length 37 cm, skewers. If you have only 20 of them, then you have no friends, and you cannot invite someone to visit. Meat should be put on skewers to the last piece. Or do you do this: -Hey, Vovan, come on, finish your meal, come on, skewer, I need to fry Kolka!

I have 90-100 of them, they don’t rust, they don’t ask to eat, unless they put meat on them, and there’s enough for everyone. And on nature I take all the meat already put on and only on skewers. In a special container and from any insects hidden. I put marinated meat on skewers only myself and only at home. I do not bother my ladies with this work, if I have taken up the matter, then I will bring it to the end. I do not want to offend our dear and beautiful sex, but the meat should not scroll on skewers or hang down to the very coals.

As for the size of the sticks, while eating, it's better to take another, fresh, hot stick, so I plant 5-6 pieces each. For lovely ladies, one skewer is enough, she would like to try the second one, but with huge skewers she is afraid that she will suddenly fail. With my size, you can safely regulate the amount of shish kebab eaten. After all, we are not in the Stone Age with a spinning mammoth or in a competition: “Who will eat more!” Although, with a good barbecue, any thought of a diet simply disappears! And two or three skewers, your lady can always eat with pleasure!

Again, a case from life. The day dragged on with all sorts of things, there was a late evening, a sauna and, accordingly, a barbecue. One lady from a kindred circle was very indignant, like, at night, looking at such a dish!? From her youth, she knew the rules of nutrition, looked after her figure, and, by the way, she swallowed three sticks, and even a mug of beer upstairs !!! ...

The last condition and not least: always put guests at the table, let them skip one glass of salads. No walking around the barbecue, everyone must sit at the table! Let them inhale with their nostrils what you cook there. Your place is only by the fire!!! This is where you start serving them your barbecue!

Shashlik should only be eaten hot! And yet, if you treat you to a barbecue, let it be only a barbecue. Something from a snack, such as: pickles, tomatoes, squash. Sweet peppers, black olives, onions, dark bread and, of course, good vodka! There should not be any manti and pies, because you treat only SHASHLIK!

I don’t know where they will kiss you later for this, but you will definitely be the first barbecue in the village! This is how the first skewer looks like, sizzling, roasting and not burning on a hot fire. And the juice, what juice is running, just look! If he drops on the fire, then this drop will immediately burst into flames, and at the bottom of the brazier with the least ventilation, this will not happen.

Below you will see that all the batches of kebab fried by me look about the same, so you will succeed, I'm sure of it!

And here it is the first batch, the people are waiting, everything is poured, just give it!

And this is what lamb looks like: surprisingly ruddy and just melting in your mouth. It is this meat that you saw in the second picture above. What, exactly, served as a pickle? This cannot be said, most likely each ingredient has contributed to this work. And the fact that the first pancake can always be lumpy, you know that, but you will get the most correct lesson from this! In this case, if everything was clear to you, there simply cannot be mistakes.

Try my recipe, maybe you will like this dish too! Drooling, after all, flowed ???

PS: as one wise man said that: "We live in this world not to eat, but we eat to live !!!"

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What meat to choose for barbecue

With the onset of warm days, we all strive to spend our weekends in nature: in the forest, in the country, lake or river. Well, what can be outdoor recreation without a picnic and barbecue? And in order for the barbecue to be delicious, you need to choose the right meat for it.

Despite the fact that I grew up in Central Asia, it has always been a problem for me how to choose meat for barbecue. And only thanks to friends from Central Asia, I learned to understand meat. The choice of meat is a very important moment in the preparation of barbecue. If the meat is tough, with veins or not fresh, then no marinade will help to make it tasty: be it with vinegar, wine or kefir, with the best spices and spices.

What kind of meat is suitable for barbecue

There is an opinion that the right shish kebab must be made from lamb and preferably young. But personally, I completely disagree with this opinion. I quote the authority of oriental cuisine Stalik Khankishiev:

What is a barbecue?

In the narrowest sense, this is meat cut into relatively small pieces, strung on skewers and grilled over coals.

But speaking more broadly, it can be not only meat, but also poultry, fish, seafood, vegetables and even fruits, but definitely these are products baked on charcoal. Products can be pickled, seasoned, ground, they can be processed in almost any possible way before cooking, but one condition remains the same: the products must be cooked on coals.

"Classic lamb skewers"

Lamb has a pronounced taste and smell, has a sufficient supply of fatty layers to ensure a juicy baked shish kebab. As a rule, lamb is not marinated. It is enough to sprinkle it with salt, spices and chopped onions. Then mix, crush with force and wait 5-10 minutes. This time is enough for the meat to be salted and absorb the aroma of spices.

As a rule, for barbecue, they take the shoulder part (marked with index I in the figure), ham (index III), as the softest and juiciest meat. For lovers of meat on the bone, you should pay attention to the caret (index II). It is from this part that tender and juicy entrecote are obtained.

Here is what was found on the Internet about cutting lamb and eating its parts for food.

Pork skewers

Pig meat has great softness, has both fatty layers and large reserves of fat. For barbecue, you need to select pork that is not fatty, without large growths of fat, otherwise the barbecue will not be meaty, but with a “greasy” taste. The most suitable for grilling and bonfires in small pieces is the neck. In the neck part, the meat is tender, penetrated with small fatty layers.

Also a suitable choice for barbecue would be the shoulder part (index II), the sirloin part (thick place, number in figure III) and ham (number in figure IV).

Pork, as well as lamb, does not need to be marinated - just salt and pepper it, add onions, herbs, and let it rest for 15-30 minutes.

Meat for beef skewers

Beef is not the best meat for barbecue. On fire, beef turns out great. But when frying beef in small pieces, there is a high probability of overdrying the meat. In addition, beef is a fairly tough meat. Therefore, if there is a desire to cook beef skewers, then it must be marinated. You can marinate from 4-5 hours and up to a day in the refrigerator.

To prepare a delicious beef kebab, you need to choose first-class cuts of cow carcass: in front, this is the pre-shoulder and shoulder part (index I); back part: thick loin and rump (II), rump and rump (III).

Fragrant barbecue with smoke is an indispensable part of a pleasant outdoor recreation. The key to a tender and juicy barbecue with a crispy crust is the right choice of pulp. Next, we will figure out which meat is best for pork barbecue, how to choose and prepare the best pieces for frying, and what marinades will allow you to enjoy an incredibly tasty and juicy dish.

What part of the pork is best for barbecue

In order for meat slices with browned sides to be soft and moderately fatty when frying, you need to find out which part of the pork is better for barbecue.

The most delicious cuts for barbecue:

• Filet mignon (tenderloin) is the most tender part with almost no fat layers. When boning, it is recommended to cut off the film from the underside of the piece with a fillet knife, as it will become extremely rough during frying.
• The neck is the next softest part of the carcass, which contains a small percentage of fat. It is he who provides the shish kebab with an appetizing crust. To taste, excess fat from the pieces can be removed, as well as possibly falling elements of cartilage.
• Loin - also refers to the soft parts, but in terms of taste it is slightly inferior to the two previous options. The structure of the slices is uniform, and practically does not contain fat. It is imperative to clean the meat from the veins, since after cooking this will be problematic.
• Ribs - the meat between the bones is extremely tender. For taste, it is worth cutting off excess fat, and clean a piece of films. Such parts are more often chosen for barbecue.
• The ham is the part from the hind leg, it is tougher and does not like long frying. When choosing a ham, special attention should be paid so that there are no veins on the cut. The part of the ham, the so-called "apple", is very sinewy, and you should not buy it for barbecue.
• The shoulder blade, like the ham, contains sinewy layers, and when choosing this piece for barbecue, you should clean the meat well, cutting out the hard parts.

The choice of meat for barbecue depends on personal preferences for the degree of its fat content. It is important to pay attention to the correct cleaning of meat: remove the veins and films with high quality, leaving only the sirloin.

Criteria for choosing the "right" pork:

1. When pressing with a finger on the pulp, the dent should quickly straighten up. In this case, the piece is fresh.
2. The smell of the pulp should be barely perceptible, without foreign chemical impurities. The smell of acid or rottenness indicates that the piece is hopelessly damaged.
3. Young pork has a pale pink color. At the same time, the pieces from the shoulder blade and ham are a little darker.
4. Fat should not be gray or yellowish. It's just pure white.
5. When buying meat in supermarkets, you should focus not on the date indicated on the package, but on the appearance, smell and texture of the meat. You need to look at the piece closer in normal light. The fact is that the showcases are illuminated with special red lamps to create an attractive look for the products.

Steamed, chilled or frozen pork

Fresh pork is the meat of an animal that was killed no more than 3 hours ago. Many call this an advantage, because the pieces are definitely fresh. However, steam pork is not suitable for frying barbecue, as it becomes extremely tough in the process. Even the most delicate tenderloin in the form of a piece of barbecue is practically not chewed.

Only chilled raw materials can be tasty and soft in the finished dish. When the meat lies at rest for 6-8 hours, the muscles and tendons will completely relax. Such a product is quickly marinated, easily fried and it turns out incredibly juicy. The ideal meat for shish kebab is fresh, a little lying in the refrigerator at a temperature of +1 +3 degrees.

It is not always possible to stock up on chilled pork, since its shelf life is limited in such temperature ranges, so most often barbecue is prepared from frozen raw materials. It can be tasty only if the pork has been frozen once. When defrosting and re-freezing, the finished kebab will become tasteless, dry and tough. It is easy to understand that the meat has been frozen several times. You need to press your finger on the pulp. If the pork has been frozen only once, a dark spot will remain on it, and if the procedure is repeated, then no traces will remain on the surface.

Proper cutting of meat for grilling

To cook juicy and tender barbecue on the grill, you need to cut the meat correctly.

Preparation consists of the following steps:

1. We wash the meat, because during the deboning, chips from the deck and other dirt could remain on it.
2. We cut off films, cartilage, small bones and veins.
3. Pork is cut into oblong slices 5 cm thick and 8 cm long.
4. It is important not to grind the meat, as the kebab will turn out to be rather dry.

It is important to remember that the smaller the piece, the greater the heat of the brazier should be, since if the temperatures are not high enough, all the juice will come out of the slice and the fibers will become dry.

The best marinades for pork skewers

Once it has been decided which meat to choose, for the correct frying of pork skewers, you should choose the right marinade. Experienced skewers recommend abandoning the traditional practice of marinating with vinegar or mayonnaise. In this case, the amount of vinegar must be strictly dosed so as not to burn the meat. Mayonnaise sauce makes the dish overly fatty, and kills the true taste of the meat.

1. Citrus. The secret is to replace the vinegar with lemon juice. For 2 kg of pork we take 2-3 onions, cut into large rings, 4 tbsp. l. fragrant olive oil, a couple of pinches of freshly ground black pepper and a handful of peppercorns, optionally 2-3 leaves of parsley and other spices at your discretion. It is important not to overdo it with diverse spices. We put salt just before frying, or add it after laying it in the grill so as not to dry the meat.
2. coffee marinade does not involve the participation in the preparation of meat of any acid. For 2 kg of pork, add your favorite spices (it can be crushed coriander grains, zira, Caucasian seasonings), 3-4 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, 3 coarsely chopped onions and 1 liter of hot coffee (but not boiling). The meat in the marinade is left to cool in the room for 2 hours, and after that it is moved to the refrigerator shelf for at least 6 hours. Barbecue guaranteed delicate taste and original aroma.
3. Kefir filling. For every 2 kg of lean meat, we take 1 liter of fat-free kefir, spices and herbs to taste, and 4 large onions, divided into wide rings. Shake the bowl with pork well, and put it in the cold for 5 hours. This filling is ideal for preparing chicken, pork and beef, only if the meat is not too tough. The same mixture can be prepared on the basis of Greek yogurt without sugar and fruit additives.
4. Mineral water. For the same amount of meat we take 1.5 liters of highly carbonated mineral water, coarsely chopped greens, ground coriander, black pepper and suneli hops, as well as a pinch of salt, and chopped 3-4 onions. After 3-4 hours in the refrigerator, such a filling will turn pork into an incredible tenderness fillet. It is important not to fill the workpiece with table-medicinal mineral water, as it has a special smell and taste that will be transferred to pork.
5. Especially loved in the east pomegranate marinade: for 1 kg of meat we take 2 cups of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, 2-3 bunches of any greens: cilantro, basil or mint, a handful of ground pepper and a chopped large onion. In such a filling, pork spends in the refrigerator from 10 hours to a day. In addition to pork, this marinade is good for lamb.
6. wine marinade will make the pulp much more tender, and give it a pleasant aroma. For 2 kg of workpiece, we take 1 liter of dry red wine, 3 large onions, a bunch of basil and a ground mixture of peppers. White wine is not suitable for pork, so it is used for turkey.

Properly selected and marinated pork will turn into a fragrant shish kebab with a fried crust and juicy pulp inside. Such a delicacy will become a real decoration of outdoor activities.