Lamb is a specific meat that is not always tasty, and sometimes has an unpleasant odor. However, if you choose the right carcass and a good marinade, you can get an amazing shish kebab.
Recipe content:
- How to choose meat for barbecue
- How to cook lamb kebab
- Delicious lamb kebab marinade
- Marinated lamb kebab
- How to marinate lamb skewers
- Lamb barbecue marinade is the most delicious
- Video recipe
Admirers of this meat will surely say that a real shish kebab is only one that is made exclusively from lamb. And surprisingly, they will be right, since initially barbecue was prepared only from this type of meat. That is why mutton shashlik is called authentic, i.e. the original and authentic version of the food. But, as for the preparation of many dishes, lamb also requires certain knowledge and subtleties.
How to choose meat for barbecue
Whatever you make a wonderful marinade, but the kebab will be delicious only when the meat is chosen correctly.
- Never purchase frozen lamb, as there is a high risk that the meat will not taste good. It's easy to check - push the piece. If the resulting groove fills with blood, then the meat is frozen. In fresh food, the hole will not appear and will not be filled with blood.
- If you did buy frozen meat, defrost it at room temperature and start cooking right away.
- For barbecue, it is advisable to give preference - loin, leg or shoulder blade.
- When buying meat, take a good look at it so that there is no puddle of water under it, and above it there are bloody smudges and traces of snow.
- The best meat for barbecue is young lamb. It has a soft structure and no unpleasant odor. This meat is light in color with white fat. The meat of an old animal is bright red with yellow fat layers, and after a long heat treatment remains tough.
- The fat layer should be even. This says that the animal was well fed, and, accordingly, the meat will be delicious.
- Sniff a piece. The smell should not be harsh, neutral with a slight sweetish aftertaste. If you experience unpleasant sensations, then refuse to purchase, this product is not fresh.
How to cook lamb kebab
Lamb is perhaps the only meat that does not require washing under water. They just wipe it off with a paper napkin. Meat processing consists only in the removal of non-edible parts - tendons and films. After, it is cut into medium pieces so that they fit in the palm of your hand. Usually their size is 5x5 cm. Too large pieces will not bake well, and small pieces will be dry.
For barbecue, it is advisable to use coals made from cherry, birch or lime wood. Coals can be bought ready-made or burned on their own in a fire. But whatever coals are, do not forget to fully heat them so that they burn evenly over the entire surface with a reddish heat and only a thin layer of white ash gleams a little. Never start cooking a kebab if the open flame has not gone out. And if a flame breaks out, then put it out by sprinkling with a little water, wine or marinade.
Turn skewers regularly during roasting. This will allow the lamb to cook evenly, give it a delicious crust and not burn. If the meat begins to burn in some places or has dried out, then brush them with marinade or sauce. Lamb does not take very long to cook, because may dry out and acquire a rubbery taste. On the grill, no more than 5-10 minutes is enough, for medium roasts - 15-20 minutes. Lamb freezes when it reaches t40 ° C, so it is advisable to use it immediately.
Delicious lamb kebab marinade
To make the meat juicy and soft, it must be marinated: a fresh young piece - for 1-3 hours, an old one - 10-12. The simplest pickling foods: olive oil, lemon and lime juice, yogurt, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, mint, cumin, cardamom, oregano, chili, thyme. Meat turns out to be tasty after daily pickling in vegetables: celery root, onions, garlic, carrots and allspice.
In general, the marinade should be such that the lamb turns out to be tender with an unusual taste and is in harmony with seasonings and spices. We offer a recipe for the perfect marinade for real Caucasian lamb kebab.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 134 kcal.
- Servings - 2
- Cooking time - 20 minutes for marinating, 3-4 hours for marinating meat
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes - 0.5 kg (per 1 kg of meat)
- Onion - 0.5 kg
- Garlic - 1 head
- Seasonings - 1-2 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper - to taste
Step by step cooking:
- Peel the onion and garlic. Wash the tomato.
- Wipe the meat with a napkin and cut into pieces.
- Combine vegetables in a deep bowl and stir. Add spiced meat.
- Leave the lamb to marinate for 3-4 hours. If you want the kebab to marinate faster, stir it every 10 minutes.
Marinated lamb kebab
Marinade can be made in a variety of ways, but you should not experiment with it yourself for lamb meat. Not all seasonings and spices are in harmony with this variety, and it is difficult to identify the ideal proportion. And overdoing it with spices, you can emphasize the disadvantages of barbecue. Therefore, we offer another proven option. marinade for lamb with Abkhazian flavor.
Ingredients:
- Lamb - 1 kg
- Dry red wine - 250 ml
- Adjika - 4 tablespoons
- Onion - 4 pcs.
- Garlic - 3 cloves
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper - to taste
- Spices to taste
Step by step cooking:
- Stir wine with adjika.
- Peel the onion and garlic, chop finely and combine with salt and selected spices.
- Combine the wine and onion mixture and the garlic and onion mixture.
- Cut the meat into pieces, cover with marinade and leave for 5 hours.
- String the pieces of lamb tightly on a skewer and cook over hot coals for about half an hour.
How to marinate lamb skewers
One way or another, let's not forget that the preparation of the marinade is the most important preparatory process. The final taste, softness, juiciness and aroma of barbecue will largely depend on how it is prepared. Therefore, we will not risk it, but, as with the previous recipes, we offer a version of the national marinade for lamb with Turkish roots.
Ingredients:
- Lamb - 1 kg
- Dry red wine - 250 ml
- Tomatoes - 300 g
- Garlic - 2 cloves
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper - to taste
- Spices to taste
Step by step cooking:
- Wash the tomatoes. Peel the onion and garlic. Twist the food in a meat grinder.
- Pour wine into the vegetable mass, add spices and mix.
- Cut the meat into pieces and season with the prepared sauce. Leave it to marinate for 6-7 hours.
- Salt the kebab, stir, put it on a skewer and grill over hot coals, turning occasionally for about 30-40 minutes.
Lamb barbecue marinade is the most delicious
Can't be ignored and real Georgian mutton kebab … The marinade of this national cuisine is quite simple to prepare. We list the main ingredients for it below, and with spices, you can, as always, show your culinary imagination. For example, Georgian culinary experts prefer: suneli hops, cilantro, savory, marjoram, coriander, basil, saffron.
Ingredients:
- Lamb - 2 kg
- Onions - 500 g
- Grape vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- Lemon - 1 pc.
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper - to taste
- Spices to taste
Step by step cooking:
- Peel the onion and cut into half rings. Cut the lamb into equal pieces. Combine food in a deep bowl.
- Rinse the lemon and squeeze out the juice. Combine it with grape vinegar, stir and pour over the meat.
- Season food with salt, pepper, spices and stir. Close the lid and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Skewer the meat, grill and serve with thin pita bread.
You can find even more new and proven original recipes and marinades of lamb kebabs on the pages of our website. And now we suggest watching video recipes:
