Shashlik is a real “male” dish, a symbol of summer and picnics. That hike or trip to the country that did without it is bad. But where did this interesting dish come from? And what does the best barbecue recipe sound like? Let's try to find answers to these questions.

Origin of barbecue

Many people who are not familiar with history believe that shish kebab is an original dish of the peoples of the Caucasus, that it came from behind the mountains, and that only Caucasians know how to cook real shish kebab according to a special recipe. This is not true. Such a dish as barbecue can be found in many nations of the world. But the country where it was invented chose to remain anonymous. After all, even the first people who learned how to make fire cooked meat on a fire - and this was also a barbecue. Many hundreds of years later, hunters and soldiers roasted meat on musket ramrods.

And the very word "barbecue" is not Caucasian and accidentally "wandered" into the Russian language. This is a distortion of the Crimean Tatar word "shish", which means "skewer". It turns out that barbecue is “something on a spit”. In Russia, it was known as early as the 17th century, and this dish was called “turned meat”, that is, meat that is turned over on a spit.

Shashlik in the world

In Azerbaijan, shish kebab is known as "kebab", while in Armenia it is "khorovats". In the Mediterranean countries, kebab is a cutlet mass, to which a huge amount of mint was added, put on long wooden skewers and baked in coals. Well, that's what Mediterranean cuisine is for. But in America, shish kebab is an overturned dish, where it is cooked on special grills in a brazier, and it is called “barbecue”.

In Afghanistan, Morocco and their neighbors, barbecue is made from marinated lamb. In North Africa, this dish is called "brochettes". Since these countries consist of deserts, saxaul (a woody plant) is used as coal. Saxaul produces very hot coals that exude fragrant smoke. Elsewhere in Africa, Aboriginal people make shish kebabs from pieces of the heart, kidney or liver, stringing them on skewers and frying them over coals.

In Georgia, it is prepared only for special guests. It is called "mtsvadi" and is baked on a dry vine of grapes. Often, the wood of other trees is used in this case - apple trees, pears, cherries. Fried pieces of meat are popular in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia. There they are cooked from chicken using shrimp.

It is advised to drink white or red strong wines under the barbecue. They give this dish a special taste. Oriental cuisine experts offer dry wine - supposedly it goes best with meat and fish.

It turns out that this is not a Caucasian dish, but a world one. But still: what is the classic and best barbecue recipe?

The Perfect Recipe

In order for the barbecue to turn out really tasty, you need to choose good meat. It can be lamb, pork or beef. Still, the classic version is pork, not too fatty and by no means frozen (all taste qualities are lost). Experienced chefs advise taking the neck part - baked on coals, it turns out to be very tender and tasty.

If you still bought frozen meat, then in no case do not marinate it cold. Let it first thaw and reach room temperature, and at the same time the blood water will drain. You can not deprive the attention of the color of the meat: if it is light and "dried", then a good barbecue will not work.

If you purchased fresh meat, then first wash it with water and dry it. Moisture is the main enemy of pickles. The ideal option would be to buy meat early in the morning and immediately marinate. In this case, the kebab will be ready for "riding" on the grill the very next day. Cut the meat into transverse “washers” 3 or 4 centimeters wide, while removing all tendons. But do not get carried away and cut out all the fat, otherwise the barbecue will lose its juiciness!

Now it's time to move on to marinating. Here is a list of products that you will need to make the most delicious barbecue (based on approximately 3.5 kg of meat):

1. Salt (4 teaspoons). Everyone knows that no dish can do without salt, and barbecue is no exception.
2. Black coarse pepper. Remove dust from the pepper box! And the best option is to crush the peppercorns with a knife and cut lightly. Such grains of pepper give extraordinary taste sensations. Enough 15 peas.
3. Coriander. Again, 15 peas will suffice. They must first be lightly fried, and then crushed.
4. Basil. It is enough to take as much as coriander.
5. Thyme. The most popular Asian seasoning, which is often added to meat and salads. And in ancient Greece, thyme symbolized courage. A pinch of this spice is enough for a kilogram of meat.
6. Cumin. In no case should not be confused with cumin or dill! They are not suitable for barbecue. This seasoning is very specific, and less than half a teaspoon is enough for three and a half kilograms.
7. Bay leaf. A few are enough. In no case should you put it on skewers along with meat - these leaves are not edible.
8. Paprika. One teaspoon is enough. It is paprika that gives the kebab its aroma and characteristic reddish color, so you can’t do without it. You can add a clove of garlic to the paprika if you like the thrill.
9. Onion. It needs to be cut into rings, they are also suitable for snacks. Enough for six bulbs.
10. Sunflower oil. Not to be confused with olive! Five tablespoons is enough. You need to add it only after you have "loaded" all the seasonings into the marinade.
11. Lemon. Oddly enough, but he plays a big role. Half of the squeezed lemon is enough, only you need to add it after the vinegar has been poured. You can also sprinkle fried skewers with vinegar.

Now it's time to mix everything thoroughly and leave in a tightly closed saucepan, pressing down on top with a plate. In the morning you need to mix everything again.

frying process

When kindling a fire, you need to put as much firewood as possible, because there is never too much coal. Usually the fire needs to burn out for about 20 minutes. While it flares up, you can string meat on skewers. Flat skewers work best as they won't constantly tip over under the weight of the meat. Small pieces should be strung from the edge, large ones - in the middle.

Remember that when frying a barbecue, there should not be a fire in the fire, so you need to fill the fire with water from time to time, since fat ignites at high temperatures. The meat must be placed at a distance of 10 centimeters from the coals, creating a "roof".

Shashlik should only be eaten hot! And the ideal snack would be pickled cucumbers, tomatoes or squash, peppers, olives, onions and black bread. Bon appetit and good luck in cooking the best kebab according to the best recipe!

Delicious, fragrant and invariably attractive dish, barbecue, accompanies us throughout the warm period of the year. In Russia, almost no picnic, no trip to nature with family or friends is unthinkable without a whole ritual of cooking and eating juicy, fragrant, smelling of spicy herbs and smoke, roasted over coals. In fact, barbecue has long been not just another universally recognized culinary masterpiece, but also an excellent means of bringing people together, an excellent occasion to get together and make new friends.

How to cook barbecue? Cooking shish kebab is traditionally considered a typical male responsibility. And there is a lot of truth in this. After all, only strong male hands can really knead meat with onions and marinade so that onion juice, acids and enzymes completely saturate the pieces of meat, give them all their taste, soften them and nourish them with their aroma. And of course, the very ritual of burning coals, stringing kebabs on skewers and frying meat, is quite rightly considered by many to be a brutal act that emphasizes male power and arouses admiration in the eyes of ladies. However, we will not offend beautiful women with gender prejudices, because their refined taste, imagination and culinary experience often allow them to cook unusually exquisite and amazing versions of this dish.

At first glance, cooking barbecue is not fraught with any particular difficulties. Well, what can be difficult in cut the meat into portions, mix with the marinade and fry on the coals? It is in this popular belief that the error lies, which leads to disappointment when dry, tough and tasteless pieces of overcooked meat appear on our table. But in the sacrament of cooking barbecue, every detail, every movement is important. It is necessary to choose the right meat, marinate it correctly, kindle the coals correctly, fry it correctly and even eat the shish kebab correctly, knowing exactly what side dish and what drink to accompany it. All this knowledge comes with experience, but your intuition also plays a significant role here. Experienced chefs turn on all their senses while cooking barbecue, they not only follow it with their eyes, not only trust their sense of smell, but even listen to the hiss of fat and juice on the coals in order to accurately catch the very moment when it is time to turn the skewer over or sprinkle the meat and coals marinade or wine. And what about those who have not yet had time to gain experience and do not know how to cook a barbecue, but really want that even the first cooked barbecue could bring joy and pleasure? Don't despair!

It is for those who feel not quite confident when cooking barbecue, for those who cook barbecue for the first time, "Culinary Eden" has collected and recorded the most important tips and secrets on how to cook barbecue, following which you will definitely be able to please your friends and loved ones with a real, juicy, tasty and fragrant shish kebab.

1. Cooking barbecue begins with the choice of meat. And here it is very important not to make a mistake. After all, the juiciness, taste and aroma of the finished dish depends on how correctly you chose the meat. Meat for barbecue should be chosen the freshest, from a young animal. Take a close look at the selected piece. On the cut, pork should be gently pink, and beef and lamb should be red. Too dark meat will tell you about the venerable age of the animal; soft barbecue from such meat will not work. The color of the meat should be uniform without spots, with a slight glossy sheen. Pay attention to the smell of meat. Fresh meat of a young animal has a very pleasant, slightly sweet flavor. Any sharp, unpleasant odors, the smell of ammonia, sour or musty smell will tell you about the stale meat or the respectable age of the animal, it is better to refuse to buy such meat. Of considerable importance is the cut of meat. The best kebab is obtained from a tender, slightly fat-covered neck, loin or saddle. However, you can use a ham or even a shoulder blade, but cooking these parts of the carcass will require more marinating time.

2. It is very important to approach the choice and ignition of coal with special care. Not only the frying temperature, but also the taste and aroma of the finished kebab will depend on its quality. It is best to use birch or alder charcoal. The light, unobtrusive aroma of smoke from coals from these woods is best combined with the taste of meat, poultry or fish, without interrupting, but only complementing the own flavor of the products. If you burn the coal yourself, then it is best to do it in a separate fire, transferring the finished coals to the grill using tongs. This will allow you to avoid getting ash and coal dust on your barbecue. If your choice is ready-made coals, then try to find a good manufacturer, one that does not add any additional substances to the coal that contribute to ignition, but spoil the taste of meat. Also, if possible, try to avoid various lighter fluids. Even a faint aroma of paraffin is unlikely to add charm to your kebab.

3. When igniting the coals, make sure that all the coal burns with an even scarlet color. If black spots remain on the coals, it means that they have not flared up enough, give them a little more time. Distribute well-burned coals evenly over the brazier, break large coals into pieces no more than 3 - 5 centimeters. Gently level the coals, placing a little more of them on the sides and corners of the barbecue. After that, let the coals rest a bit and be covered with a light layer of fluffy white ash. This will even out and normalize the combustion temperature, which will save your kebab from burning and drying out.

4. The size of the pieces of meat that you are going to cook is also important. Do not cut the meat into too small pieces - they will dry out instantly and become tough. But too large pieces are also not good - they will reach for a long time in the middle and can burn at the edges. The optimal size of pieces of meat is 5-7 centimeters. Pieces of shish kebab of this size are perfectly baked inside and do not burn on the outside. String shish kebab pieces on a skewer should be tight enough. In the event that you are not completely sure of the quality and softness of the meat, thin pieces of bacon or juicy vegetables (tomatoes, onions, etc.) can be strung between its pieces.

5. While searing, turn the skewers frequently to ensure the meat cooks evenly on all sides. Be careful not to let dripping fat from the meat ignite the coals. As soon as this happens, immediately sprinkle the burning coals with marinade, wine or just water. Watch carefully for the crust that forms on your kebab. If you notice excessive drying or burning, immediately turn the skewer and brush the dried meat with a mixture of marinade and vegetable oil. The average time for frying a kebab is 10 - 12 minutes. It is this frying time that will allow the meat to bake well, without burning or drying out, and your kebab will turn out juicy and tender, covered with a fragrant crispy crust.

6. Let's try to cook the simplest pork neck skewers. Cut into 2 kg. pork pieces of medium size. Cut three large onions into rings, add 1 teaspoon of coarse salt and carefully remember the onion with your hands so that it releases the juice. Add ½ teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of coriander and the juice of half a lemon to the onion. Mix the finished marinade with pieces of meat, mix everything together thoroughly and leave to marinate for 3-5 hours. Thread the cooked meat onto skewers and sprinkle on top with a mixture of finely chopped hot peppers, leeks and garlic. Grill over charcoal for 10 minutes, turning frequently and brushing with a mixture of dry red wine and vegetable oil.

7. Beef can be cooked in a mustard-lemon marinade. Mix 3 tbsp. spoons of mustard, 3 tbsp. spoons of honey, juice of one lemon, 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of soy sauce and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Cut two kilograms of beef into medium-sized pieces, mix with marinade and leave to marinate for 5-6 hours. String the finished meat on skewers, carefully coat with the remaining marinade and bake on coals for 10-15 minutes until tender.

8. Duck kebab in orange marinade turns out to be unusually tasty. To prepare the marinade, mix 50 ml of orange juice, 2 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce, 2 tbsp. tablespoons dry white wine, 2 tbsp. spoons of honey. Add 1 finely chopped fresh chili and 50 gr. chopped tarragon or basil. 800 gr. cut duck meat into small pieces, mix with marinade and leave to marinate for 2 hours. Thread marinated duck pieces onto skewers, arranging them with orange slices. Grill over charcoal for 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently and brushing with marinade.

9. An original and unusual barbecue can be prepared from lamb ribs. In a deep saucepan, place three finely chopped sweet peppers, 5 chopped garlic cloves and ½ kg. chopped tomatoes. Add 2 tbsp. spoons of water and 2 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil. 1 ½ kg. chop lamb ribs with a layer of meat in portions and add to the pan with vegetables. Add two bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of zira or cumin. Bring vegetables with meat to a boil, cover and simmer on the smallest fire for an hour. Remove the prepared ribs to a separate dish, and strain the vegetable broth through a colander. Thicken the broth in a saucepan over a fire and add one finely chopped chili pepper and 50 gr. green cilantro. Mix thoroughly. Thread the ribs onto skewers and brush with the resulting sauce. Grill over coals for 5 to 8 minutes.

10. Nothing superfluous should be served as a side dish for barbecue. After all, your barbecue is unusually good and tasty in itself and should remain the only king on your table. It is best to serve fresh vegetables or vegetable salad, salsa and a lot of fresh herbs to the barbecue. Juicy, crunchy vegetables perfectly set off the taste of tender, hot, aromatic meat. In addition, some vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, can be strung on skewers and baked over coals with vegetable oil. Such a simple, tasty and fragrant side dish for barbecue is sure to please everyone. And don't forget a glass - another good dry wine!

You can always find even more proven recipes for making delicious barbecue on the pages of Culinary Eden.

Zhalnin Dmitry

Hello. Spring has come and the weather has become noticeably warmer. I live in Central Asia and we can say that at the moment it is very warm and even hot. So, in light of this, my friends and I recently went out into nature - on vacation. It was a very hot day - the thermometer in the afternoon showed a little more than 30 degrees Celsius. It is still too early to swim, as the water is still not warming up well, but for a good outdoor recreation, now is the best time for us.

In general, we left the city, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The question of what to cook with us, of course, was decided immediately. What would a holiday be without barbecue? On that, they decided that the main course would be pork skewers. The rest did not bother either. We took with us vegetables for salads and okroshka, a variety of drinks, light snacks we grabbed from home, already ready.

We marinated the barbecue meat the day before. In my opinion, this is convenient from several sides: everything is at hand at home and it is more convenient to marinate shish kebab in the kitchen - firstly. Secondly, the meat is marinated much better and, therefore, the kebab is tastier and juicier. The third plus is that upon arrival at the place of rest, you will have other chores: for example, you will need to decompose, collect and chop firewood, and prepare salads.

How to marinate pork so that the kebab is soft and juicy

Surely everyone at least once in his life tried to cook this dish. Some people get it right the first time, while others don't. It all depends on what recipe you are cooking and who is cooking.

Let me start by saying that cooking barbecue is a man's job. In no way do I want to offend women, but still I think that most will agree with me. To be honest, I have never seen a woman at the barbecue. After all, you must admit that preparing firewood and lighting a fire is by no means a female occupation. Yes, and the process of frying, too. Ladies, no offense!

So, the entire cooking procedure can be conditionally divided into several stages: marinating, preparing the barbecue and frying. However, these three stages are also divided into several steps:

1. For pickling, you need to choose and cut the meat correctly, prepare all the necessary ingredients and marinate the meat in the correct sequence.
2. Preparing the brazier is the choice of fuel (firewood) and, accordingly, the brazier itself.
3. Grilling a barbecue is one of the most important steps with a lot of subtleties and nuances that must be taken into account.

How to choose meat for barbecue

To cook a barbecue, the first thing you need to buy meat. And to make it tasty and juicy, you need to purchase the right meat, no matter what you cook it from: be it pork, beef, chicken, lamb or fish. The main thing is to initially take the choice of products very responsibly.

I do not think that you will get a tasty dish from an old piece of meat stale on the counter. And this is regardless of how you marinate it. The maximum that can work out is the “Friendship” barbecue - chew it and tell it to your neighbor. Of course, you can add kiwifruit or something else containing acid to the marinade, which will simply make the meat look like a chewed rag. Believe me, this is not entirely correct.

To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to take only fresh (not frozen) meat - this is the first. For pork skewers, the ideal option would be to buy a pork neck, but with the right approach, it will also turn out very well from other parts - this is the second.

As for the amount, you can easily calculate it from a simple formula: 0.6 kg is enough for 1 adult man, 0.5 kg for a woman, 0.3 kg for a child. If you plan to go on a picnic, as we did, then take a little more. After all, everyone knows that in the fresh air the appetite is played out in earnest. Adhere to the principle - it is better to let it remain than not enough.

What pieces to cut the meat so that the kebab is not dry

Now let's figure out how to properly cut pork. Too small pieces will turn out dry, like crackers. If you cut it too large, it will turn out that by the time the meat is charred on the outside, it will still be raw inside. A lot also depends on the fire, but we will talk about this a little later.

So, the most suitable size will be about 5 by 5 cm. It is not necessary to measure with a ruler. Estimate by eye and try to cut into equal pieces along the fibers. Thus, the kebab will be fried evenly. We figured out the meat, we move on.

What ingredients to use and in what order to add them to the marinade

There is no clear set of ingredients for cooking barbecue. It all depends on personal preference. What meat is not marinated on for this dish: it is kefir, and tomatoes, marinated in soy sauces, vinegar, fruits and juices, pomegranates, mineral water, wine and beer, they add a wide variety of spices, onions and even mustard.

You can try everything and choose the best for yourself. I have tried different marinades. And you know what I can say? All of them are good in their own way. The main thing is not to overdo it with the selected spices and everything will be “good”.

and a recipe to boot. I recommend reading.
As for when to add the ingredients and in what order, everyone has their own opinion on this matter. Personally, I do this:

1. First, I add coarsely chopped onions to the chopped meat, carefully squeezing the juice out of it with my hands.
2. Salt comes next.
3. Then peppers - paprika and black ground
4. Spices to taste - what you like (I try not to add)
5. Further bay leaf and sunflower oil

This sequence is for the simplest recipe, but it can also be a little different, depending on what you are going to marinate the future kebab on. So let's now look at several options for preparing this favorite dish of all.

How to cook delicious pork skewers. Top 7 barbecue marinade recipes to keep the meat soft and juicy

What is the secret of a delicious, soft and juicy kebab? The answer is simple - in fresh meat, the right marinade and good frying. We dealt with meat above. Now let's look at 7 recipes for a good marinade to get a dish that you will want to cook again and again.

Shish kebab in vinegar marinade. How to cook vinegar marinade

Vinegar marinade is the most common, but everyone makes it differently. This is the simplest, one might say classic, recipe of all that I know and about which I have read and heard. There is nothing superfluous here. Everything is pretty simple and easy. It turns out very tasty. Try it and I think you will like it too.

What do you need:

• Pork neck - 5 kg.
• Diluted vinegar 9% (per 100 grams of vinegar 200 grams of water)
• Bay leaf
• Black pepper (peas)

Cooking:

That's it, it's simple and easy. No wonder they say: "Everything ingenious is simple!". Cook and enjoy.

How to cook barbecue in your own juice with lemon

A good marinade recipe with lemon. The shish kebab turns out to be very tasty, with a pleasant aroma and a special note in taste that the lemon gives.

Ingredients:

• Meat - 2 kg.
• Onion - 1.2 kg.
• Lemon - 2 pcs.
• Pepper

How to cook:

1. Cut the meat into pieces.
   
2. Cut the onion into half rings.
   
3. Next up is the lemon. Dip it in boiling water and cut into small pieces.
   
4. Let's start marinating. We put the meat in a deep dish in layers, then pepper, salt, put the onion and lemon, squeezing the juice out of the last two a little.
   
5. Repeat step 4 with all remaining meat.
   
6. Squeeze well with your hands so that the lemon and onion give juice.
   
7. Cover and leave for 6-7 hours.
   
8. The marinade is ready, it's time to start frying.

Mineral water pork kebab

Marinating pork in mineral water is an excellent solution for getting a soft and juicy kebab in a short time. Everything is done quite simply. Let's take a look at the cooking process.

What you need:

• Pork - 3 kg.
• Onions - 6 medium onions
• Bay leaf
• Ground black pepper
• Seasonings to taste

How to cook:

1. Cut the pork into equal pieces. Salt.
   
2. Finely chop the onion, put it in a bowl and salt it so that it gives juice.
   
3. We crush the onion with our hands. Add 3-4 bay leaves to it.
   
4. Put the meat in this bowl. Sprinkle with pepper and seasonings (I personally do not add seasonings).
   
5. Mix well.
   
6. Pour the meat with carbonated mineral water.
   
7. Cover with foil and leave at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours.
   
   

   If you have time, it is better to send it to the refrigerator for 5-6 hours, it will be even better.

8. We prepare the fire and after the required time we start frying.

Marinade for barbecue on kefir

When I first cooked this recipe, I did not take into account one important point - kefir should not be sour. As a result, no one began to eat the cooked barbecue. Therefore, take non-sour kefir. The meat will be very tender and tasty. Yes, and be sure to send the future barbecue to marinate in the refrigerator so that the kefir does not turn sour. Is it a little...

Ingredients:

• Meat - 2.5 kg.
• Kefir - 1.5 liters.
• Onion - 1 kg.
• ground bay leaf
• ground pepper

Cooking:

1. Wash, dry and cut the meat.
   
2. In a separate bowl, cut the onion into half rings and squeeze a little.
   
3. Pepper meat and onions.
   
4. Add ground lavrushka to both "containers" (you can also use leaves)
   
5. Combine onion with pork, mix.
   
6. Now fill the whole thing with kefir and mix well again.
   
7. Cover and send to the refrigerator for 8-10 hours.
   
8. Salt the meat 1 hour before frying.
   
9. Marinade on kefir is ready. You can barbecue.

marinade recipe with tomatoes

If you like grilled vegetables, you will love this recipe. Let's cook a barbecue with tomatoes. In addition to the fact that you will have vegetables fried on the fire, the meat will also turn out to be very juicy and tender, because during frying, juice is released from the tomatoes, which soaks the barbecue.

If during frying you prefer to lubricate the meat with marinade, then this is not necessary here, since everything happens by itself. Try it. I'm sure you'll like it.

Products:

• Pork - 1.5 kg.
• Tomatoes - 700 gr.
• Onion - 500 gr.
• Table vinegar - 0.5 cups
• Ground pepper (black, red)

How to cook:

Shish kebab in tomato juice

Probably many have heard and even tried to cook a marinade with the addition of tomatoes. Have you tried seasoning meat with tomato juice? If not, then be sure to try it. Barbecue soaked in juice. turns bright red. The result is very appetizing and, most importantly, delicious.

If there is no juice, then it’s a good idea to add a tomato to the marinade instead, which is added to the frying. Surely many preserve it for the winter. For 2 kilograms of meat, a half-liter jar of tomato will be enough. Personally, I often add tomato than juice. A matter of taste.

What do you need:

• Pork neck - 2 kg.
• Onion - 0.9 kg.
• Pepper mix
• Tomato juice

Cooking:

Classic barbecue marinade recipe

I present to your attention the easiest way to marinate. Here we will not use anything extra, but the result will be just as good, and maybe even better. This is probably the very first recipe according to which they began to cook barbecue.

The recipe is good in that you will only need to buy pork, and everything else can be found in the kitchen. The time is also pretty fast. Ideal if you don't have time to wait for the meat to be ready to fry.

Ingredients:

• Meat - 1.5 kg.
• Onion - 1.5 kg.
• Pepper

Cooking:

Rules for frying barbecue on the grill

Decided to cook barbecue on the grill? Then I want to tell you what kind of firewood to use, which brazier is best suited for this and how to properly cook on it.

A good barbecue should have:

1. Openings for oxygen access. They are on the side or on the bottom of the barbecue. Both options are not bad in fact.
2. Thick walls, since it is thick walls that maintain the temperature at the right level.

Birch or oak is suitable as firewood. The best option would be firewood from fruit trees. They will give the dish a unique flavor. The most ideal option would be a vine. But not everywhere grows a vineyard, so use what is.

In no case do not take into account acacia, mountain ash, poplar and all conifers. Not only will the taste of the dish go bad, but you can also spoil your health. In the process of burning, these trees emit resins that are very harmful to the body. Also, do not throw plastic and polyethylene products into the fire. They are also very harmful.

The fire must be completely burned out. After that, you can “spread” the coals all over the barbecue and wait until it is slightly covered with ashes. Now is the time to start grilling the barbecue.

The distance from the coals to the meat should be about 15 centimeters. This is the most optimal height for barbecue. They put the meat on the fire. And when to turn over? Listen to meat. As soon as the meat begins to “sizzle” from the side of the fire, the lard drips onto the coal and such a pleasant smoke rises, it is at this very moment that you need to turn the meat over. If you turn it over in time, the meat will never burn. Brown the meat evenly on all four sides.

The whole frying process takes approximately 10-12 minutes. If you can’t determine by eye whether it is ready or not, then use a knife. Make an incision and see what it looks like inside. The main thing is not to overdry the barbecue. It should be light pink on the inside, with light gray edges and a ruddy crust on the outside. The resulting juice should be transparent, and the aroma must be unique. Only then the barbecue is considered ready.

How to cook barbecue in a jar

Did you know that you can cook barbecue without coal, firewood, smoke and without barbecue right in the house. Of course, it will not be one hundred percent the same as we are used to cooking outdoors, but still. What to do if there is no opportunity to go out into the fresh air, and the soul wants a barbecue? An oven and a regular jar come to the rescue.

You can use any marinade that you like best - there are no special rules here.

So, you decide on the marinade yourself, and I will only give you recommendations on how to cook barbecue in a jar.

That's the whole cooking procedure. In my opinion, it works best with the addition of kefir to the marinade. And what do you think? And have you ever cooked in a bank? Share your experience and tell us which marinade recipe is best for barbecue in a jar.

Cooking barbecue on skewers in the oven

If the previous method with a jar does not suit you, then there is another way to cook in the oven on a baking sheet. Any marinade can be used. How to cook barbecue in the oven? Very simple:

Here is a kebab that you can cook right at home, without any hassle. I am sure that not everyone will be able to distinguish it from a barbecue cooked on coals. Try it and see for yourself. Bon Appetit!

What is the best recipe of all to get a soft and juicy kebab

So we figured out with you the secrets of cooking barbecue. But which of all the recipes is the best? To answer this question, you need to try to cook everything. After all, tastes do not argue. Someone will like it with lemon, someone with kefir, someone with soy sauce, and someone generally doesn’t like shish kebab in any form. Yes, I don't like it. I know people who don't like this dish. Take at least vegetarians, because they are generally against the use of any meat.

Or maybe you have already tried to cook according to all these recipes and have already chosen the most delicious and juicy one for yourself? Then please share your opinion. It will be interesting to find out what exactly in this or that recipe you like the most.

Or maybe you have your own special recipe in stock, which not everyone knows about? It would be great if you share it. It's very interesting to learn something new.

On that note, I want to draw the line. I wish you a pleasant stay, delicious kebabs in a cheerful company in the open air. Bye!

P.S. We had a great rest then. We arrived home very tired but happy. It turns out interesting, like you are going to rest, but you get tired a lot more. Probably, this is the beauty of nature trips, otherwise no one would aspire to such trips ...

What could be better than going on a fine day with friends or family to nature? If only the day was good, but the sun shone. And what, if not with barbecue, are our picnics associated with? We go to "barbecue", and Americans invite friends to "barbecue". That's probably the difference.

Shashlik! Delicious, juicy, fragrant... Who can resist? And ask whose dish it is, and most will answer that, of course, Georgian. This is partly true, but in Caucasian cuisine this dish is called "mtsvadi". But the word "barbecue" was introduced into our dictionary by the Cossacks-Cossacks after the Crimean campaigns of Minikh. It comes from the word "shish", which means "skewer", and "kebab" is what is on the spit. And you can string anything on a spit: pieces of meat, fish, mushrooms, vegetables and even bread. Often the soldiers used their bayonet as a skewer. Now we call the skewer a skewer. And shish kebab is a popular dish of all peoples who have developed cattle breeding.

And what is "B-B-Q"? In fact, it is "a piece of meat, whole roasted on a spit." This is how the word is translated. But it's the same with any other charcoal grilled food. Like this! A barbecue is also a picnic during which these same dishes are prepared and eaten. And for a barbecue, as well as for a barbecue, everything is suitable.

The most popular and perhaps the most chic dish is pork with bone grilled. Fresh meat is not pickled, but only slightly beaten off pieces on both sides, sprinkled with salt and spices and fried on a large amount of coals, constantly turning over so as not to burn. A side dish can be tomatoes, cucumbers, coarsely chopped or whole onions, greens, bread.

A rather sophisticated barbecue option is fish and seafood. Fresh fish is also not marinated. It is simply cleaned of scales, the insides are taken out, washed and fried. A small fish is whole with a head, and a large one is cut into pieces 2-3 cm thick, sprinkled with lemon juice, salted, sprinkled with spices and lubricated with vegetable oil.

In order for the meat fried on coals to be tender, juicy and spicy, it must first be marinate. This is how barbecue is prepared from pork, lamb, small chickens and chicken wings are also prepared. There are a lot of options for different marinades.

And the simplest and fastest is kefir. It is kefir, not vinegar. Pieces of meat are poured with kefir, a large amount of chopped onion rings and spices are added. They stand a little and start barbecue. The marinade is not placed in the refrigerator. It is not salted. Only meat is salted when it is strung on skewers. Meat aged in such a marinade even for 1.5 hours becomes tender and soft.

Pork neck skewers

Prepare 2-3 kg of chilled pork neck, 2 lemons, salt and ground black pepper. Put the pieces of lean pork in a bowl, pour in the juice of 2 lemons, mix. Put the chopped onion on top, close the lid and shake a few times. Let marinate for 6-8 hours. Salt to taste before cooking. In the process of cooking, especially when a fire appears, the meat should be poured several times with the remaining marinade. When serving, decorate the barbecue with herbs, tomatoes, olives.

Pork skewers

Take 500 g boneless pork cut into cubes, 2 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander seeds, 1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of chopped ground basil, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger. In addition, you will need a large pinch of ground cinnamon, capsicum red pepper and ground nutmeg, 1 finely chopped bay leaf, 2 tbsp. tablespoons olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper, lemon slices and bay leaves for garnish.

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except pork and lemon slices. Add pork and stir in marinade. Cover the bowl with a lid and refrigerate for 8-12 hours, turning the meat from time to time. Preheat the grill. Thread the meat onto small skewers. Grill hot for 7 minutes, remembering to turn, until the pork is cooked through while remaining juicy. Garnish with lemon wedges and bay leaves. Serve hot.

Pork skewers with tomatoes

It will take 500 g of meat, 4 onions, 6 tomatoes, ground black pepper, 2-3 cloves of garlic, greens. Rinse the flesh of lean pork, cut into small pieces, add salt, pepper to taste, onion, cut into rings and fresh tomatoes, cut into slices. Fold the meat in an enamel bowl and leave in a cold place for 6-8 hours. Ready marinated meat strung on a skewer, sprinkle with a mixture of vinegar, garlic and pepper. Grill over hot coals until tender, turning the skewer occasionally.

Pork and lamb shish kebab

Cut the pulp of the kidney or hind leg (young pork or lamb) into equal, not very large pieces, put in an enamel bowl, salt, sprinkle with ground black pepper and mix well. Chop onion rings. For 2 kg of meat, add 1 glass of dry white wine. Mix again, crushing the meat with your fingers. Cover the container with a lid and put in a cold place for 3-4 hours. String pieces of meat on skewers and fry over hot coals without a flame, turning them all the time. The degree of readiness is determined with the help of an incision. The main thing is not to overdry! Remove the finished kebab from skewers, put on a dish, garnish with herbs and onions.

Steppe barbecue

Take 800 g of lamb pulp, 2-3 onions, 0.5 heads of garlic, 100-150 g of spicy greens, salt, pepper. Finely chop the onion, garlic, parsley, dill, cilantro, season with salt and pepper. Cut the lamb into oblong strips 10-15 cm long, wrap the prepared minced meat in them and string on a skewer. Roast over hot coals without a flame.

Baked vegetables do not require any preliminary preparation, but they are tasty both as an independent dish and as a side dish for meat. To prepare them, you just need to string on skewers, alternating, everything that is at hand: slices of tomatoes, onion rings, sliced ​​zucchini, corn and sweet peppers.

2nd way. Fish flesh without skin and cartilage or without rib bones and skin is cut into two thin elongated pieces per serving, sprinkled with salt, black pepper, strung on a skewer, smeared with sour cream and fried over hot coals. The finished fish is removed from the skewer, laid out on a dish, garnished with chopped onion rings, decorated with parsley. Serve tkemali sauce or other hot sauce separately. Can also be served on a skewer.

Salmon barbecue

It will take 1.5 kg of salmon, 1 jar of olives, 1 lemon, 3 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce, spices for fish. For marinade: 2-3 tbsp. spoons of soy sauce, 1 glass of white wine, spices for fish and lemonade. Cut the defrosted salmon into pieces, place in a deep frying pan with a thick bottom and pour over the marinade. Keep fish in it. Then string pieces of salmon on skewers, alternating with olives. Serve hot or cold with olives and lemon.