Shish kebab is not just a meat dish. This, one might say, is a ritual in which everyone takes part - children collect branches (even if coal and firewood are prepared), women cover the “clearing” and string pieces onto skewers, and men discuss ways of getting the right shish kebab over beer (well, fry him, of course). And it’s very disappointing when the whole company ends up with hard, inedible “soles” as a result of all their efforts. But there are few secrets: you need to choose the right part of the carcass, calculate the number of “consumers” and know how to marinate the kebab - whether you will make it from pork, beef, lamb, or even from fish or poultry.

Meat must be chosen correctly and properly prepared.

The main condition is that the meat should not be fatty. The main component of this dish is meat, not lard. So choose not fatty (but not lean!) pieces. Otherwise, it will be absolutely the same as marinating pork kebab; it will still not turn out juicy and tender. The butt is considered the most suitable part of the carcass; it is moderately saturated with fat layers, but does not leak lard when frying. A shoulder blade would also be good, although it should be marinated more. Those who use chops for barbecue make a mistake. The result will be dry and not juicy.

On the eve of the picnic, before marinating the pork shashlik, it is worth calculating how many people will participate in the feast. Remember that meat “shrinks” during frying, so from a kilogram of raw product you will get only seven hundred grams of finished product. So for eight people (especially if you plan to spend a lot of time at the barbecue), you need to take about four kilograms of pork.

Basic Rules

Even knowing it, you still need to prepare it correctly. To ensure that the meat is fried evenly throughout the entire volume, cut it into small pieces. This is especially true for lamb and beef - the meat of these animals is quite tough. For pork, allowances are allowed; the slices can be quite large, since pork meat actively absorbs virtually any marinade.

The next subtlety: before marinating the pork kebab, onions, and any herbs that you are going to add to the marinade, you need to mash (better with your hands, not with a spoon or, especially, with a blender). All components will give juice, thanks to which the meat will marinate faster and better.

To prepare barbecue meat, use glass, ceramic or enamel dishes. In extreme cases, “stainless steel” will do, but certainly not aluminum or zinc.

The most popular - kefir - method

Among all the ways in which you can prepare pork kebab, the recipe for a marinade based on kefir is the most famous and used. Its main advantage is the speed of marinating. The second advantage is the soft and juicy meat that results.

The ratio of products is as follows: for half a kilogram of pork - a liter of fermented milk product. However, we note: it all depends on the fat content of kefir and your personal preferences. If you don’t like too “wet” meat, enough liquid will be enough to just cover the pork. Take more onions, since marinating pork kebab with onions is a tradition for any marinade recipes, no matter what they are based on.

For the kefir recipe you will also need peppercorns, cilantro, bay leaf and salt. Most chefs advise layering meat, chopped onions and spices, but some recommend adding everything in a row and then stirring - they say, this will release more juice. In principle, marinating pork in this way is enough for a quarter of an hour, but if you have patience for at least an hour, the meat will be much softer. Note: some chefs advise combining kefir with mayonnaise, since marinating pork kebab with mayonnaise and kefir is faster. The meat will have a richer flavor and the marinade can be used for basting. Some exclude kefir from this recipe, but then the kebab will have a peculiar taste that not everyone likes.

Lemon recipe

The method described above is not the only way to prepare pork kebab. The marinade recipe, which produces a very delicate result, is based on lemon. In addition to these citrus fruits, you will need a sheaf of basil, traditional onions, salt and pepper. Pork, onions, and herbs are placed in layers and lemon is squeezed on top. Layers are laid out in this way until the meat runs out. There is no need to stir, add lemon juice too, too much will make the meat very sour. When mastering a new kebab recipe, the question always arises: “How long to marinate pork kebab?” It is for this cooking method that there is a clear answer: eight hours. It is clear that no one will set the timer. However, keep in mind: keep pork in this marinade for more than 20 hours - you will get very “lemony”, sour and brightly smelling meat, which not everyone will like.

Tomatoes for marinade

A recipe that tells you how to marinate pork kebab with tomatoes gives no less good results. Many people use ready-made tomato juice to sell it. Not a bad way, but you just need to be sure that the juice is natural and without preservatives. Better yet, make the juice yourself. To do this, the tomatoes are passed through a juicer or grated on a regular grater and rubbed through a sieve. The cake will have to be thrown away or used for winter storage.

The chopped meat is layered with onions (amply), peppered, salted, and, if desired, flavored with spices. Then it is filled with the prepared juice - not to the very edges, but just so that the meat is all covered. The question remains about how long to marinate pork kebab in tomato marinade. It is decided by each chef individually. However, the optimal time is considered to be 9-10 hours, that is, it is enough to leave the meat overnight. Be sure to take into account that when frying, you will need to keep a close eye on the kebab, since, marinated in tomato, it burns easily.

Wine classics

Many lovers of this dish adhere to it in principle, even if they cook pork kebab. The wine marinade recipe is simple, and the result is pleasing. There are two ways to marinate meat.

First. For every kilogram of pork, take a glass of dry white wine. Onions are coarsely chopped, mixed with meat, pepper and salt by hand (add your favorite seasonings if desired). A load is placed on top, and the entire structure is sent into the cold for four hours.

The second option is a much more time-consuming recipe. He suggests marinating the pork kebab in red wine. All other components are the same. A little more wine is used than in the first case so that the meat is completely hidden under it. No weight required. And most importantly, you need to infuse the pork for at least a day and a half (preferably two). But the kebab will turn out soft, juicy, a lot of “gravy” will form, and you can pour it over the meat.

Unusual but tasty

You can marinate barbecue meat (pork, in particular) in a very special sauce. It will go with a glass of pomegranate juice (everything is designed for two kilograms of meat), 2 onions, a bunch of basil and parsley, as spices - black pepper, sea salt, cloves and paprika. Of course, it’s better to take natural juice, squeezed yourself, but store-bought juice will also work, just without added sugar.

The pork is placed in an enamel bowl in layers. Each of them is covered with onion rings, chopped herbs and paprika. The top layer is sprinkled with cloves, everything is filled with juice and put in the refrigerator for 4 hours. The contents are thoroughly mixed every 60 minutes. At the end, oppression is placed on top, and the future kebab is left until the morning. The meat is very tender and spicy, fries quickly and has a subtle pomegranate flavor.

Exotic: kiwi

A variety of herbs and vegetables are used as seasonings when preparing meat. We offer a method that tells you how to marinate pork kebab with kiwi - unexpected and tasty. Moreover, for a couple of kilograms of meat you only need one fruit. In addition to this, black pepper (this time with peas) along with a bay leaf, two onions and a glass of carbonated mineral water will go into the marinade.

The main stages of preparation are standard: cut the meat and onions, add seasonings to them. And then the kiwi is peeled, finely rubbed, combined with the rest of the ingredients, and all components are mixed. Then the pan is filled with mineral water, everything is stirred again - and left in the refrigerator overnight.

Vinegar

Many experts do not recommend using vinegar marinade for pork. They claim that this ingredient dries out the meat and makes it tasteless. Moreover, opponents of this recipe consider such a marinade to be excessively and “incorrectly” sour, insisting that lemons add more naturalness to the meat. However, if you follow some nuances in how to marinate pork kebab with vinegar, you can achieve simply amazing results.

So, you should not chop the onion coarsely, but grate it or put it through a blender (meat grinder). Per kilogram of pork, take no more than 4 tablespoons of vinegar (if you have 9%; recalculate the volume of less concentrated vinegar accordingly). Moreover, it is preferable to buy wine or, in extreme cases, apple - they have a more pleasant smell and a less harsh effect on the meat. Those who like a rich marinade can dilute the vinegar with water. If you take these tips into account, the result will not disappoint you.

Beer fantasies

The foamy drink as a basis for marinade is also attractive because the meat in it softens very quickly - an hour of marinating is enough. In principle, the “aging period” is similar to kefir beer, but beer is more attractive because it gives the meat special subtle, but clearly pronounced flavor notes. The main condition: the beer must be dark and natural. If you find the so-called “live” one, you can rest assured that the kebab will turn out great. In addition to beer, the marinade includes pepper, salt and a little sugar. Onion, as usual. The marinating process in this recipe also involves laying it out in layers: pork is placed in a dish, covered with onions, sprinkled with spices, poured with a marinade of beer, salt and sugar, then the same next layer. No stirring required. If you want to speed up the marinating process, do not put the pan in the cold, leave it indoors, just so that the sun does not hit it.

Mineral water as a marinade base

It was already mentioned in the recipe with kiwi fruits. However, you can do without this addition. Mineral water marinates meat well, but some subtleties must be taken into account. First of all, remember that it can be table, alkaline and acidic. If you are just trying to marinate shish kebab according to this recipe, for the first time opt for the dining room one - it has the most neutral taste. Alkaline mineral water should generally be avoided - it does not contain the necessary acid for processing meat. And when using sour soda, you may not calculate the amount of other components and end up with over-acidified kebab.

To diversify the taste of the final product, add certain spices and seasonings to the water. Do you like it spicy? Use paprika and chili. Do you like spicy meat? Thyme, rosemary and basil will add flavor to the barbecue.

Quick kebab

If you, quite unexpectedly, even for yourself, are going outdoors, you need to figure out how to marinate pork kebab very quickly, without spending the night to achieve the “right condition” for the meat. From marinade recipes, you should choose fast-acting ones: those based on beer, lemons, white wine or kefir. You might also consider using a mayonnaise marinade. If you know how to marinate pork kebab with mayonnaise correctly, it will be ready pretty soon. There are few tricks. The first and main thing is that mayonnaise is not poured onto pork right away. The salted and peppered meat should stand for a quarter of an hour without marinade, allowing the juices to release. The second, no less important point: there should not be too much mayonnaise. In fact, they coat the pieces with it, rather than pour it over them. To speed up the process, you can dilute the mayonnaise with dry wine - either white or red. This drink should be taken in an amount equal to approximately half the volume of mayonnaise.

At the same time, the impact of “fast” methods can be further accelerated. First of all, the choice of meat. It is advisable to buy something fresh that has not been frozen. Otherwise, it will take a lot of time to thaw it under natural conditions (you don’t want to spoil the taste of the kebab by defrosting the pork under hot water or in the microwave?).

The next stage of “acceleration” is to take a thermal bag, a vacuum tray, or at least an ordinary plastic bag without holes. In the latter case, the marinated meat along with the other ingredients is placed in a bag, and all the air is carefully squeezed out of it. Upon completion of the process, the bag is tightly wrapped and bandaged. It is noted that in this form, pork marinates almost twice as fast. And if you press it down well, the process will speed up even more.

One last note: no refrigerator! A lower temperature slows down the marinating, although it makes it more uniform.

Note that the listed methods of marinating do not exhaust the entire list. You can use the juice of sour apples, red currants or cherry plums for marinade. Of course, the fruity taste is peculiar and unusual, but the meat turns out tender and juicy. Don’t just take sugary berries - pork already tastes sweet. The brine-based marinade is praised - it actually does not need seasoning. Or you can figure out how to marinate pork kebab yourself using other products.

How and in what do you marinate shish kebab to make it tasty? Despite the fact that marinating meat for barbecue is a simple procedure, many do not know how to properly marinate barbecue. Let's try to tell you how to deliciously marinate meat for barbecue.

Perhaps it’s worth starting with the fact that there can be a great many options for marinade for barbecue. Classic “Soviet” marinade based on vinegar, marinade made from lemon juice, beer, pomegranate juice, sour cream, kefir, mayonnaise... There are so many people, so many opinions - every professional chef has his own favorite marinade recipe for shish kebab.

So, what do you need for a barbecue? Of course, first of all, this is meat. Pork, lamb, beef, chicken meat - it doesn’t matter at all, choose what you like best. For our part, we can advise you to choose pork, lamb or veal. The best option is pork neck. It contains the optimal ratio of meat and fat, so this kebab is sure to turn out juicy and tasty. By the way, you can calculate the required amount of meat using ours. Next, you need spices to taste (black, red pepper, garlic, salt). And, of course, you will need ingredients for the marinade itself. We’ll tell you what to marinate the shish kebab in below.

How to marinate shish kebab in vinegar

Let's start with the most popular marinade recipe - vinegar. First, the meat must be washed, cut into small pieces and seasoned with spices. Place the chopped pieces of meat in layers on the bottom of the pan. Once the first layer is ready, cut the onion into rings and place a few onion rings on top of the meat layer (this will be tastier). Add spices (black pepper, salt). Now pour a 9% vinegar solution over everything (you don’t need to pour a lot of vinegar) and proceed to the next layer. If you don’t know how to dilute vinegar to 9% concentration, use ours. As soon as all the meat for the kebab has been prepared in this way, it is necessary to cover it tightly with something. The fact is that all the vinegar accumulates at the bottom of the pan and the upper layers of meat are poorly marinated, while the lower ones do the opposite. Therefore, we take a lid or a plate with a slightly smaller diameter than the pan, cover the kebab meat and press down tightly so that the marinade juice begins to “come out” along the edges of the pan. That’s it, the meat can be left in this form overnight in the refrigerator, or kept at room temperature for 1-3 hours. And you can start cooking!

What to marinate shish kebab in

What else can you marinate shish kebab in? According to some, freshly squeezed lemon juice is an excellent alternative to vinegar. That is, do everything according to the previous recipe, replacing vinegar with lemon juice. In this case, it is worth excluding onions and reducing the dosage of lemon juice so that the meat does not turn out sour. You can leave this meat in the marinade for a couple of hours and start preparing the kebab./p>

Another favorite marinade option for barbecue is mayonnaise. In this case, there is no need to salt the meat, just pour mayonnaise over it and add black pepper, mix and leave for several hours.

Marinating shish kebab in kefir, for example, makes the meat more tender. The cooking method is simple - mix pieces of meat with spices and pour kefir. Leave it in this form overnight so that the meat absorbs the marinade.

The most “correct” way to marinate meat for barbecue

Do you know how professional chefs in restaurants marinate meat for barbecue? If I tell you, you will never believe it. Nevertheless, this is the most correct and, perhaps, delicious way to marinate kebab.

Cut the onion into thin rings (ideally there should be as much onion as meat). Place it in a saucepan and mash it with your hands as hard as possible so that the onion releases juice. Next, cut the meat into 3-5 centimeter cubes and place on top of the onion. Sprinkle the meat with spices: black pepper, salt, cumin, ground coriander. Stir the contents of the pan so that the meat, onions and spices are distributed evenly.

Here is the approximate amount of spices per 1 kg of meat:

• Zira – 1 tsp.
• Coriander – 1.5 tsp.
• Salt – 1.5 tsp.
• Ground black pepper 1.5 tsp.

In most cases, this marinade is quite enough. If you are afraid that the meat will be tough, add sparkling mineral water to the pan at the rate of 50-100 g. water per 1 kg of meat.

That's it, the marinade is ready! If the kebab is planned for tomorrow, then you can put the pan in the refrigerator. If you need to cook quickly, then leave the pan in a warm place, in which case you can start grilling the kebab in 2-3 hours.

As you can see, this is a very simple, but incredibly tasty marinade recipe. By the way, sometimes meat (especially beef) can be tough. To soften it, you can add a few pieces of kiwi to the marinade. Caution: add kiwi in small quantities and no earlier than a couple of hours before cooking. Otherwise, the kiwi will eat the meat so much that it will fall apart and become tasteless.

As you can see, there are many options for what to soak shish kebab in. We recommend using the last recipe - it is suitable in most cases and the kebab turns out very tasty.

Properly marinating shish kebab is a great art. After all, what it will be like practically depends on this. Change the recipe a little and all the kebab will be either dry or cloying. But preparing the marinade so that it would be impossible to tear yourself away from the kebab is not an easy task.

On the eve of the coming spring, which means the most favorable time for all kinds of outings and spending time in the countryside and in nature, it would not hurt to get some practical advice on how to properly marinate shish kebab.

I will only say one thing: there is no single recipe for marinating shish kebab. Each nation has its own.

Here are a few simple recipes collected and tested personally over the past year.

1.Marinate using onions and spices.

As you know, the best and probably the only vegetable that is present in all kebab marinades is onion. Everyone has long known about its miraculous properties of softening meat. There is never too much onion. Usually it is added at the rate of 1 kg of onion per 1.5-2 kg of meat.

When using spices, always ask if they are compatible with meat. Won't they make your kebab tough and not tasty?

Recipe 1 for 2 kg of pork meat.

1.5 kg onions, cut into rings

Spices for barbecue (Basil, bay leaf, coriander, black pepper, marjoram)

Sunflower oil (olive, corn) approximately 100g.

It is advisable to add salt to taste just before threading it on skewers, about 10 minutes before.

It is advisable to marinate the pork kebab for 3-4 hours in a cool place.

Recipe 2. for 2 kg of pork meat.

Five six bunches of parsley and dill.

Onion 1.5 kg.

Ground black pepper.

Chop the parsley and dill coarsely. Cut the onion into rings.

First mix the meat with herbs and squeeze well. Then add the onion and squeeze it a little too.

Add salt before frying.

Marinate for approximately 1-1.5 hours.

2. Marinate in juices.

Sometimes for marinating I use a different combination of natural juices and preferably homemade ones.

Recipe 1 for 2 kg of pork.

Tomato juice 1l

Ground black pepper

Onion 1.5 kg.

Salt to taste.

Pour the tomato over the meat, add onion and squeeze it thoroughly.

Add black pepper and leave in a cool place for 5-7 hours.

Add salt before cooking.

Recipe 2. for 2 kg. pork meat.

We use lemon or orange juice.

Pour the juice of freshly squeezed fruit over the meat. Let stand like this for about 1 hour. Then add chopped onion and parsley. Add some barbecue spices.

Marinate for approximately 3-4 hours.

Recipe 3. For 2 kg of beef.

Pomegranate juice 2l

Spices for beef kebab.

Sunflower oil.

I dare to assure you that kebab from young beef turns out to be just as juicy as from pork if it is properly marinated.

We use pomegranate juice for this. The ideal option, of course, would be to buy it at the market from Asian traders, but if this is not possible, then use a pomegranate.

Well, as a last resort, juice (not nectar) from a store containing at least 70%) natural ingredients.

Pour over the meat so that the juice covers it. Add onion minced through a meat grinder. Mix everything well. Add some spices to the beef skewers.

An hour before cooking, add sunflower oil and mix everything well.

Marinate for at least 12 hours.

This is, of course, not the entire list of juices in which I marinated shish kebab, but the principle remains the same.

I used both apple and grape and a mixture of these juices.

4.Marinate using lactic acid products.

Kefir and cheese are ideal for softening meat and giving it the necessary tenderness.

Recipe 1 for 2 kg of pork meat.

Kefir (wheat) 1l

Ground black pepper

Sunflower oil 100g

Half an hour before cooking, add sunflower or any other oil to the marinade and mix well.

Marinate for 4-5 hours.

5. Marinate in beer or kvass.

Beer is ideal for marinating shish kebab. Just keep in mind that not all types of beer are suitable for this, and in no case do I recommend using pasteurized beer.

For this purpose, live beer containing hops, malt and water is best suited.

For marinating in kvass, I use homemade kvass made from barley or sea rice.

6. Marinate in wine.

In order for the kebab to turn out juicy and tender, not all wine can be used to prepare the marinade.

I use only dry wines. I often use my own homemade wines.

Under no circumstances do I recommend using fortified or dessert wines. And also wines made from powders. When frying kebab, carcinogens are released from such a surrogate and thereby turn your kebab into a chemical weapon of mass destruction.

7. Marinate in vinegar.

Who remembers Soviet times, the most common way to marinate shish kebab was to pour vinegar over it.

Now this method is not particularly popular due to the large number of opponents of marinating kebab in vinegar.

Although I sometimes marinate using only apple or wine vinegar. I still advise you not to use alcohol vinegar.

Recipe 1 for 2 kg of pork meat

70-100g apple or wine vinegar.

1.5 kg of onion.

Black pepper.

Salt to taste

Sunflower oil.

Pour vinegar over the meat and mix thoroughly with the onion. Add salt. Spice up. Before cooking, add oil and stir 1 hour before cooking.

There are, of course, quite a few different ways of marinating and preparing barbecue. I tried to highlight the most popular ones in our country.

Have a nice holiday!!!

Good day everyone!

Today we have a very tasty topic. And it will be dedicated to barbecue. Nowadays it is impossible to imagine an outdoor holiday without this delicious dish. At the dacha, in the forest, or just walking in the park where there are street cafes... Shashlik, it’s everywhere!

For a culinary creation to truly become a miracle, you must adhere to certain rules.

Firstly, the meat must be marinated in advance. And, preferably, keep it in the marinade for a day. Then the meat will be tender, well-fried and the kebab will turn out delicious. In addition, it is better not to use a frozen product, but only a chilled one.

Secondly, when choosing meat, it is better to give preference to pork neck. Today we will talk about pork kebab.

So, be patient. Let's cook the most delicious and juicy pork kebab, and for this we will look at several methods of marinating. Each recipe will have illustrations and cooking secrets.

Go…

How to deliciously marinate pork kebab so that the meat turns out juicy and soft

Let's get straight to the point, I'll offer one of the best methods I use for marinating pork. And those who want more recipes and a step-by-step cooking process, then read the entire article.

So. My recipe for making the meat juicy and soft looks like this:

Ingredients:

• Pork neck (namely neck) - 2 kg.
• Onions - 10 heads (about the same as meat)
• Green parsley and dill (a bunch to fit in your hand)
• Red tomatoes (preferably in season, otherwise unripe tomatoes will not add the desired flavor to the marinade) - 3-5 tomatoes
• Salt pepper

That's all. Simple recipe!

You need to cut the meat, then the onion as you like - into rings or cubes. Cut the tomatoes into cubes, and parsley with dill. Don’t overdo it with parsley, otherwise it can be very cloying! And so, parsley is one of the secret ingredients.

Move everything around (meat, tomatoes, parsley, dill).

Bonus! Delicious pickled onions in a hurry

As a bonus to the recipe, I decided to write my own recipe for pickling onions. Great for a snack.

Ingredients:

• Onion in small rings - 1 pc.
• Vinegar (table vinegar 9% or vinegar essence 70% - 2 tsp) - 4 tbsp. l.
• Sugar - 2 teaspoons
• Salt (without a slide) - 0.5 teaspoon
• Water (boiled and cooled) - 1 cup (250 ml.).
• Dill (to taste)

Easy way:

I add vinegar to the water so that the tongue has the taste of vinegar in the water. Not too sweet. And then, when the water with vinegar is done, I add all the other ingredients: sugar, salt and dill. At the end, I cut the onion into small rings so that I can marinate quickly in 10-15 minutes. And I put it in the refrigerator. I recommend!

The second method of pickling onions

Serve with fresh flatbread.

The cooking process consists of three stages:

- selection of meat and marinating

— preparation of the barbecue (breeding coals)

- frying meat

The marinade can be different, such as vinegar (you can add red wines or sour juices), salt and spices... There are also other, no less refined recipes. We will look at several of them.

The main thing for us is that the meat turns out soft, and when we eat it, it doesn’t just melt in the mouth, but transfers all the juice to the taste buds, and every chewing with the “jaw” makes a satisfied facial expression, which makes amazing soft and juicy meat.

Step 1. Choose meat

The chosen meat determines how edible, tasty and lean the kebab will be.

As mentioned earlier, it is best to take it refrigerated rather than frozen. Chilled pork is more elastic, while frozen pork is loose and releases meat juice.

Young pork gives a more delicate flavor and is much softer. You can determine the age by the color of the meat; the darker it is, the older it is. You can also check the freshness of the meat by pressing it with your finger. If the dent is leveled out quickly enough, the product is fresh. You can take it!

We also choose meat with small streaks of fat, which should be light yellow and not hang in pieces. If the fat is dark yellow, it means the animal was old.

In addition, it is preferable to take meat in one piece and parts of it such as loin, shoulder, neck or ham - you need to understand what exactly you are taking. Because if you take a rear ham, no matter how hard you try, don’t expect juiciness. It might be possible to make it soft. But the taste cannot be compared to the front part - namely the neck, or the front leg near the neck.

How do these parts of meat differ from each other?

It is the neck that is most often used in kebabs. If you use a moderately fatty piece, the kebab will turn out soft and tender.

The ham is much drier than the neck, and the shoulder is tough. Therefore, when using these parts for barbecue, they must be marinated well. And believe me, you need to try!

The loin is practically the fattest part of the pig. This must be taken into account for those who do not like too fatty meat.

Pork is good because many of its parts can be used to make a good and tasty kebab. The only difference is how long to marinate each part of the pork carcass. But if you are not a big professional in marinating, then choose the neck.

Step 2. Prepare the pieces. What pieces of meat should there be so that the kebab does not turn out dry?

The meat has been selected. Now you need to cut it correctly. Many may say: " -what’s difficult, take it and cut it". However, a lot depends on correctly cut pieces. For example, the degree of their impregnation with marinade, their placement on skewers, and frying.

It is better to cut meat into medium pieces. These can be identical squares, 3-5 cm wide, or cubes 4x4x4 centimeters. If you cut the meat very finely, it will be dry, and if it is coarse, then it may not be cooked through in the middle. In general, one medium-sized skewer should ideally fit six pieces.

The shape of the meat should be cone-shaped, but square is also suitable. With this shape, it is convenient to place the meat on a skewer, piercing it from corner to corner diagonally.

Cut into pieces across the grain. If you cut along the grain, then during frying it will shrink and be difficult to chew. Accordingly, when cutting meat, it is necessary to clean it of tendons and fat. In order to see how the fibers go, you need to freeze the meat and then carefully examine it. The fibers will look like white threads. We cut them crosswise. However, they can also be seen on defrosted meat. After all, their little white veins can be seen immediately. Especially if your neck is oily.
Just look at the image (photo below), there is a middle piece of meat in the pan, on which the fibers are clearly visible.

As for the knife, in order for the meat to be cut easily, it must be very sharp. I first sharpen the knife on a block. I try to sharpen every time I cut meat.

Try to immediately choose the perfect piece of meat for barbecue at the market.

It’s better to take another walk and see who’s selling what. And it’s even better to buy it in one place on the market, always from the same saleswoman, that the source was verified, and you were confident in the product.

You should end up with roughly the following pieces:

Step 3. Prepare the necessary ingredients

The meat is prepared and cut as needed. The next step is to prepare the marinade. The fun begins.

The taste of the finished dish depends on what the marinade is like.

Also, a lot depends on the choice of dishes. Moreover, the meat will need to be soaked in brine for a long time. The best dishes for marinade are glass, clay or enamel, but it is better not to use an aluminum or iron pan. Otherwise, it may oxidize and its taste will deteriorate.

Wood, especially untreated wood, releases tannins, which can also change the taste of kebab.

As for the fat content of the marinade, when preparing it for pork, it is better not to use mayonnaise and vegetable oil. Because pork itself is fatty. And if the marinade is also greasy, then the kebab may be hard on the stomach.

Moreover, many people drink it with alcohol. And this loads not only the stomach, but also the liver. On the contrary, it is important that the meat neutralizes alcohol and is easy to digest.

Onions in large quantities will not spoil the meat. Don't be afraid with this moment.

Top 6 delicious marinades to make meat soft and juicy

On the Internet, you can find hundreds of different marinade recipes. You just need to decide which one you like and take it for cooking.

It is believed that it is best to marinate meat in onion juice. To do this, the onion is chopped or grated, and pieces of meat can be soaked in it. As a result, the kebab will turn out very tender and juicy. This method begins with the classic one, in its own juice.

In this article, we will consider several such recipes, from the most common to the original in their composition.

Below are recipes for the most fastidious readers and gourmets:

Shish kebab with vinegar. What are the advantages and disadvantages of vinegar marinade?

Marinating in vinegar is considered classic. However, some barbecue lovers do not recommend using vinegar, as it pulls off the fibers and makes the meat dry.

But, if you need vinegar, then here is a recipe for a classic vinegar marinade. It is necessary to keep the meat in it for at least 12 hours.

For 1.5 kg of meat we need 4 tablespoons of 9% table vinegar, 150 g of water, a teaspoon of sugar, 3 onions, add spices to taste.

• Dilute vinegar with water in a ratio of 2:1, add sugar.
• Cut the onion into rings, lay them around the meat and pour in the diluted vinegar.
• You can also grate the onion and add it to the marinade.
• Add spices to taste.

Everything is mixed and left for 12 hours.

If the meat chosen is quite tough, then vinegar will help correct this by softening it. However, at the same time, it dries it out, therefore, it is not recommended to marinate soft meat in vinegar.

How to marinate pork kebab in mayonnaise with onions

Another popular marinade ingredient is mayonnaise. In general, mayonnaise is so popular that it is difficult to imagine a dish where it is not used. Despite what was said above about mayonnaise - many people use it, it is worth mentioning the method of marinating in mayonnaise as one of the simplest and fastest.

For a kilogram of pork, we need 250 ml of mayonnaise, 3-4 onions, salt and spices to taste.

We start by salting and peppering the meat pieces and leaving for 10-15 minutes. After this, add mayonnaise and mix.

There should not be a lot of mayonnaise so that the meat does not float in it, but covers the pieces in an even layer.

If you need spice, then before pouring mayonnaise into the meat, mix it with mustard.

Please note that mustard is also used if you want to speed up the marinating process and make the meat soft.

For example, the case when they took a ham instead of a neck. And to soften it, you can first grease it with mustard, and then after 1-2 hours make a marinade of mayonnaise and onions.

I use this method when I buy fresh pork neck, and 2 hours later guests come. To speed up the marinating process, I grease it with mustard, and then choose the appropriate marinade.

Note! Many people use kiwi to soften tough pieces.

Recipe in your own juice + correct proportions of lemon and onion

The onion and lemon marinade adds a subtle flavor that also makes it soft. For this marinade, it is better to use meat from the neck, as in most cases, if you want to get juicy pieces on a skewer as a result.

Here the process lasts about 9 hours.

For half a kilo of pork neck, we will need 2-3 lemons, one medium-sized onion, salt, garlic and seasonings to taste.

• Squeeze juice from lemons.
• Chop the onion and also squeeze out the juice, which we mix with lemon juice.
• Chop the garlic, mix it with seasonings and salt, and add it to the lemon and onion juice.
• Place the finished pieces of meat in the marinade, cover with a lid of a smaller diameter than the dish and place a load on top (for example, a jar of water).

In this state, the meat is kept for up to 9 hours, after which it is wrung out and you can start frying.

If you want to experiment with the lemon-onion marinade by adding various experiments to it, then you can offer the following options.

— lemon-onion with mayonnaise

- lemon-onion spicy

Additional Ingredients:

• 100 ml dry wine,
• 50 ml sour cream and the same amount of soy sauce,
• a spoonful of sugar and a spoonful of honey.

You can also add grated pineapple, or cognac, kefir, or mineral water to lemon-onion juice.

Marinade with soy sauce for pork. Marinade recipe:

Soy sauce lovers can use this product. Here, as with other recipes, there are many variations.

The simplest recipe includes: for 1 kg of pork - 100 ml of sauce, pepper and spices to taste.

Since soy sauce is quite salty, it is better not to add salt to avoid oversalting.

Add pepper and spices to taste to the soy sauce, add chopped pieces of meat and leave for 2-3 hours. After this, you can start frying.

An interesting marinade recipe using honey (I recommend using it for chicken; the fillets or wings turn out rich and tasty. And marinating takes no more than 3 hours)

For 1 kg of pork you will need 1 medium onion, several cloves of garlic, 6 tbsp. l. soy sauce, 3 tbsp. l. honey, pepper and spices to taste.

Mineral water marinade

One of the original ingredients is mineral water. It gives the meat an original taste. If you decide to use it, then first you need to salt the meat, add spices and chopped onion into rings. All this is left for about 30 minutes. At this time, prepare the marinade itself.

For 2 kg of meat we need 0.5 liters of mineral water, 3 medium-sized onions, 50 grams of dried tomatoes, 250 ml of mayonnaise, salt and seasonings.

Pour mineral water into a cup, add spices, dried tomatoes and leave for an hour.

Is it true that kebab in a jar tastes better than on the grill?

If it suddenly rains while frying, or you are in an apartment, then it turns out that you can do without a barbecue. You will say what is unusual here, we will take a frying pan and finish frying it on it. However, meat in a frying pan is still not kebab.

And in order to cook it on skewers, resourceful barbecue makers came up with a way to fry meat in a jar.

I admit, I didn’t know about this method before. But with each season, it is gaining more and more popularity among Russians.

The method is quite simple! We string the pieces onto skewers, put them in a jar and bake them in the oven. The main thing is that the skewers fit in the jar. You can use bamboo skewers for this.

Place the remaining onion at the bottom of the jar and place 4-5 skewers in each jar (if you have a lot of them) and cover the top with foil. Place the jar in a cold oven (otherwise the jar may burst), turn on the heat and bake for about an hour. When the time is up, turn off the oven, but do not take out the jars, but leave to cool slightly for about five minutes.

Someone will be skeptical and say that such a recipe has nothing to do with kebab, but those who have tried it speak of it with delight. Of course, each case has its pros and cons.

Some people like it with smoke, in the fresh air, while others are happy with the homemade version in a jar. Each of these methods is good in its own way. And it seems to me that there is no point in arguing which is better.

How to properly grill pork shish kebab on a grill?

Fine. The meat has been marinated, and now you can begin the cooking process itself...

First of all, you need to prepare the grill. It can be metal, or made of bricks, or a whole kitchen complex: grill, barbecue and oven.

For firewood, it is better to use deciduous trees. Plum, apple or apricot work well. Nowadays, ready-made coals are sold in stores. This greatly simplifies the process of preparing a barbecue, since the logs take a long time to turn into coals. Therefore, it is enough to light a small fire in the grill, and only then add purchased coals to it, wait until they are hot enough, and only then start frying.

How to determine the readiness of the grill? Place your palm on the coals at a level of 5 cm from the top edge of the grill. If your palm cannot withstand the heat, you can start cooking.

The coals should not burn, but only have a red color. If they go out, use a sheet of cardboard and wave it over the grill.

When placing pieces on skewers, make them tight to each other. The skewers themselves on the grill are laid out just as tightly, but so that they can be rotated freely.

Don't turn the skewers too often. Otherwise, the meat will be dry, and you won’t get the juiciness that we want to achieve in today’s article.

Do not allow flames to appear.

If during cooking, the juice released from the meat drips into the coals, sprinkle the skewers with marinade.

The meat is fried for at least 20 minutes, but no more than 40 minutes until a golden crust appears. To check readiness, you need to cut the largest piece. If the juice released is clear, then the kebab is ready, and if it is red, then you need to keep it on the coals. And if very little juice comes out or there is none at all, then the kebab is overcooked. We can say that the batch is spoiled.

Shish kebab in a frying pan - fast and tasty!

Classic barbecue, made of course on the grill, no one can argue with that. However, there are situations when it is not possible to cook this dish on the grill. For example, it’s winter outside, and you’re “horrified” about barbecue. Then you can take a frying pan and fry the meat in it.

We will use all stages of preparation, from cutting the meat into cubes, and ending with marinating it in any marinade you choose.

It is better to use a cast iron frying pan.

• Heat on fire.
• Place the meat in one layer and fry for 1-2 minutes, then turn over and fry on the other side.
• Fry until golden brown.
• Then, pour 100 ml of water, close the lid, and simmer in this way for 10-15 minutes.

During this time, the water is completely evaporated and the meat is already fried in its own juice.

We open the lid, turn the meat over on all sides and see that it has acquired the color of a barbecue kebab. Remove the frying pan and serve the finished dish to the table.

How to cook shish kebab in an electric kebab maker

The electric barbecue maker is convenient for apartment dwellers. Doesn't take up much space, no need to start a fire. Some advantages. And the most interesting thing is that the result is worthy!

The meat is prepared and marinated in the same way as for a regular grill.

The only difference is that the skewers are placed horizontally on the grill, and vertically in the electric kebab maker. Therefore, it is necessary to string pieces of meat in several places so that they do not slide down.

Having installed the skewers, cover the device with a cap and turn it on.

Due to the fact that scrolling occurs around its axis, the meat is fried evenly.

Cooking time is 20-30 minutes.

It is important to control the process.

In the meantime, you can pour some foam and spend time with a friend in the kitchen, in the aroma of smoke, just like in nature.

Shish kebab in the oven on skewers or baking sheet

Cooking in the oven was discussed earlier. It was a kebab recipe in a jar. Let's look at another “oven” option - on skewers and on a baking sheet.

We will use the following recipe.

For 1 kg of pork you will need 200 grams of lard, 2 pcs. onions, 3-5 tbsp. table vinegar, 3-4 pcs. bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste.

• Cut the pork into 3-5 cm cubes,
• Onion rings and put everything in a bowl for marinating.

• Add bay leaf, pepper
• Pour in vinegar (you can use any other sauce instead: kefir, mayonnaise, ketchup).
• Cover everything with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

After the time has passed, soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes, and alternately thread a piece of meat, an onion ring, and a slice of lard.

It should look something like this...

After this, place the skewers on a baking sheet or wire rack.

Here's the result:

Preheat the oven to 250°C and roast for 20-25 minutes. Every 5-7 minutes it is necessary to turn the meat over and pour over the brine from the remaining marinade.

The dish is ready and can be served with fresh vegetables, pita bread and herbs.

What marinating method will you choose to make the meat soft and juicy?

In this article, we looked at the most popular and interesting recipes. We hope you found it useful.

Your opinion is important!

Another interesting marinade option that I will definitely try in the near future is a beer marinade. If you have already used it, please give advice or recommendations...

That's all for today. I wish you good luck and bon appetit!

Share your experience too. Comments and suggestions please below...

Marinating shish kebab is an art; the most important dish at a picnic depends on creativity and intuition. We have collected the best recipes for you. To choose the recipe you need, think about the tastes of your friends, about the taste characteristics of the finished meat - and you will decide how to marinate meat for barbecue.

Some of the most common questions about preparing meat for barbecue

1. How to properly cut meat for pork kebab?

It is advisable to cut into medium or large pieces. The length of the piece is from 5 to 9 cm. The width-thickness is 3-6 cm. If the pieces are too small, the meat will cook faster, but the kebab will be drier.

2. How long should I marinate pork kebab?

Pork barbecue meat can be marinated from several hours to a day. If time is short, then use recipe No. 1, and choose especially soft and tender meat.

3. When to salt meat for barbecue?

Experts' opinions were divided. Some recommend salt already at the marinating stage, while others say that salt should be added only before directly frying the kebab.

Our opinion: if the pieces of meat for barbecue are small, then you can add salt before frying. However, if the shish kebab pieces are classic (large), then you should add salt during marinating. Important: the taste of marinated kebab should be slightly under-salted - with prolonged marinating, the taste of salt will intensify.

Recipe 1. Soft and juicy kebab.

• Meat - 3 kg (for 6-8 people)
• Onion - 0.7 kg
• mayonnaise - 100 g
• pepper
• spices (for pork)

Wash the meat. Cut the meat into pieces 6-8 cm long and 5-6 cm thick (the larger the pieces, the juicier the kebab).

Cut half the onion into large rings. Grate the remaining onion onto a fine grater or grind it in a blender (to a paste).

Salt and pepper the chopped meat and sprinkle with spices. Place in a container for marinating. We season each layer of meat well with onion gruel, and also line it with a layer of onion rings. Lubricate with mayonnaise.

The meat should marinate in the refrigerator. Time to marinate meat for barbecue about a day.

Onion gruel is the main thing the secret of this kebab recipe- the meat comes out very soft and juicy.

Recipe No. 2. Acetic

• 2 kg pork neck
• 1 kg onions
• 1.5 liters of water
• 3 tbsp. l. vinegar
• 2 tbsp. l. salt
• 2 tbsp. l. Sahara
• ground black pepper (you can use a mixture of “4 peppers”)

Wash and cut the meat. Cut the onion into thick rings. Place meat (pepper) and onion in layers in a pan alternately. Fill with marinade: water, salt, vinegar, sugar. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

In nature, we place the meat mixed with onions on skewers and fry over medium-hot coals until cooked. Finally, sprinkle with sweet or semi-sweet red wine.

Recipe No. 3. Nutmeg-lemon kebab.

• Meat - 2 kg
• Onion - 0.7 kg
• Lemon - 1 pc.
• grated nutmeg
• salt pepper
• water - about 0.5 liters (amount to cover the meat)

Cut the meat. Cut the onion into 0.5 cm rings. Cut the lemon into slices, squeeze 1.4 cm into the water and throw in this part of the lemon as well.

Place the meat in a marinating container and top it with onion and lemon. Fill with water so that the water covers the meat.

Recipe No. 4. Shish kebab in white wine.

• pork—2 kg.
• bulb onions—5-7 pcs.
• ground black pepper-1 tsp
• salt- taste
• dry white wine—1 glass

Cut the meat from the kidney part of the back or hind leg (you can take young pork or lamb) into equal pieces of medium size, put in a bowl, add salt, add ground black pepper and mix well.

Cut the onions into rings and, adding dry white wine, mix again, squeezing the meat. Cover the dish with a lid and place in a cool place for 4 hours. Thread pieces of meat onto skewers and fry over hot coals without flame, turning them all the time. Determine the degree of readiness using a cut (the main thing is not to overdry).

Recipe No. 5. The kebab is spicy.

• Meat - 3 kg
• Red wine - 1 tbsp
• onion - 0.7 kg
• greens (dill, parsley) - 5-6 sprigs.

To get tender, juicy meat, you need to marinate the meat in (dry, semi-dry) red wine, add onion rings, spices (to your taste), chopped herbs and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Half an hour before threading the kebab onto a skewer, add 50 grams of vodka to the bowl with meat. Vodka will loosen the meat, and the frying time will be reduced and, as a result, it will be tender, juicy and without burning. But firewood is also important. They should be very dry and slightly hollow inside (for example, acacia, apricot).

If you make kebab (steak) without marinade, only with spices, then the meat must be rubbed with spices, do not salt (salt is hard meat), and pour a little sunflower oil over it and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Add salt when frying.

Recipe No. 6. Shish kebab with pomegranate juice

• pork-2.5 kg.
• dry red wine-1/2 cup
• pomegranate juice-1/2 cup
• bulb onions—8 pcs.
• lemon-1 PC.
• khmeli-suneli-1 tsp
• black pepper- taste
• olive oil-3 tbsp
• salt- taste

Cut the pork (neck) into large (5 by 5 cm) cubes into a saucepan. Cut the onions into rings and use your hands to mash the meat with onions, black pepper, salt and hop-suneli seasoning. Mix wine, lemon juice, pomegranate juice and pour into the meat, mix gently without pressing, and then carefully add olive oil. Leave for a day in a cool place. Cook on the grill for 10-15 minutes, periodically turning the skewers around their axis and pouring the marinade.

Delicious meat and good weather!