Let us recall the basic principles of cooking barbecue.
- Choose soft pieces of pork carcass; the best for barbecue is the neck (the softest meat with thin layers of fat), ham (medium soft meat, almost no fat), carbonade (lean meat, requires a softening marinade that retains the juice inside), tenderloin (required clean pieces without veins and preferably with fat).
- You need to marinate the kebab in advance: minimum time is 1 hour, maximum time is 12 hours (overnight).
- Cut the meat into equal sized pieces to ensure that all the meat marinates and cooks at the same time.
- Do not use too much acid in the marinade, the amount of acid should be inversely proportional to the amount of marinating time, otherwise the meat may become tough.
- Add vegetable oil to the marinade; it will help the meat absorb the aroma and taste of spices.
- Salt the kebab not at the beginning of marinating, but before frying; this can be done in a common container or directly on skewers, this way more natural meat juice will be retained in the meat.
- Grill the shish kebab at high temperature at the beginning to seal the meat with a crust, then reduce it to cook evenly.
- The kebab is ready when clear juice (not pink) comes out of the meat when cut; if no juice comes out at all, then the meat is already dry, reduce the cooking time for the next batch.
How is it presented to the table?
Pork shish kebab is served only hot. It is served to family members directly on skewers or placed on a plate. It is recommended to eat this dish with a slice of bread, as well as fresh herbs and vegetables.
For a more satisfying lunch, some housewives serve pork shashlik along with side dishes. However, in this case the dish will be heavier on the stomach and high in calories.
Onion marinade for pork skewers
Everyone knows that pork, especially fried, goes well with onions. These two products perfectly complement each other’s taste, because it’s not for nothing that onions have been used since time immemorial as one of the most important seasonings for meat. Onions will add an even richer taste to fried, stewed and boiled meat.
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In addition, onions have the properties of softening meat, and unlike vinegar, it will not dry it out.
What is needed for 1 kg of meat:
- white onions - 0.5 kg,
- black peppercorns - 1 teaspoon,
- bay leaf - 3-5 pieces,
- vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons,
- salt to taste.
Preparing pork kebab in onion marinade:
Prepare the onion for the marinade by grating it or passing it through a meat grinder or blender until you get a paste. This will release a large amount of onion juice. The pulp must be strained to separate the juice. Take a fine sieve or cheesecloth and strain all the juice into a separate container. It is better not to leave small pieces of onion pulp, as later it will be difficult to separate it from the meat, and they may burn when frying.
Cut the prepared meat into pieces of the same size. Place in an enamel, stainless steel or glass container for marinating. Sprinkle with pepper and hand-crushed bay leaves. If desired, you can add dry mustard or your favorite barbecue spices. Pour in the vegetable oil and mix well, squeezing the meat well. This way the muscle fibers will absorb more of the marinade.
After mixing all the spices, pour the onion juice over the meat and cover with a lid. Let it marinate. For such a marinade, it is enough to leave the meat for only 1-2 hours so that it becomes soft and juicy, but at the same time retains its natural taste. If a walk in the fresh air is planned the next day, then the dishes with meat must be put in the refrigerator.
This kebab is perfectly browned on coals thanks to vegetable oil. It can be served with any set of vegetables and salads.
Marinate meat for barbecue
Pork meat for barbecue should be purchased with a small amount of lard. If you use a product that is too fatty, the dish will turn out to be very high in calories and tasteless. If, on the contrary, you buy meat without lard, it will simply burn, and will also be dry and stringy.
After the required amount of pork has been purchased, it is thoroughly processed and cut into medium pieces. Then it is seasoned with table salt and pepper, poured with tomato juice and mixed thoroughly. After this, take several pickled tomatoes and free them from the hard skin. Next, they are placed in a blender bowl and blended at maximum speed.
The resulting tomato porridge is added to the meat. Brine is also poured into it. For taste and aroma, coarsely chopped red onion rings are placed in the same container.
Finally, mix all the mentioned ingredients thoroughly with your hands, close and leave at room temperature for 1.5 hours. This time is enough for the meat product to absorb part of the marinade and become aromatic and juicy.
After the meat is soaked in tomato brine, it is skewered on wooden or metal skewers and then cooked in the classic way over charcoal.
How to marinate shish kebab in mineral water
Perhaps not everyone has heard about such a simple method of marinating shish kebab in mineral water, but yes, it really allows you to make the meat soft without adding any particular taste to it.
Here you can show off all your imagination with spices and special additives; mineral water will act as a conductor and softener.
What is needed for 1 kg of meat:
- 1 liter of highly carbonated mineral water,
- barbecue spices - 1 tablespoon,
- onions - 3-4 pieces,
- black pepper - 1 teaspoon,
- lemon, grape, pomegranate juice, wine, yogurt, etc. - 100 ml,
- vegetable oil - 2-3 tablespoons,
- salt to taste.
As you noticed, we did not indicate the exact spices for the kebab. They can be the ones that you like in meat. The following go well with pork: coriander, thyme, cumin, oregano, basil, paprika, ginger and a khmeli-suneli mixture. You can also use ready-made spice sets sold in the store. If you like spicy meat, increase the amount of spices to two tablespoons.
The listed juices will add a light taste to the kebab, so choose the one you like. Instead of lemon juice, you can use fresh lemon, cut into rings; one lemon per 1 kg of meat will be enough.
You can also add fresh herbs to this marinade: parsley, cilantro, dill, tarragon, rosemary. But place it in large branches so that it can be easily removed from the meat before frying.
Cooking pork shish kebab in mineral water:
First of all, cut the meat into cubes and the onion into slices. If using fresh lemon, chop that too.
Then mix the meat and spices in a marinating bowl, add vegetable oil and mash the meat thoroughly so that it absorbs the taste of the spices. After this, you can add the onion and mix again.
Pour mineral water into the meat with spices and onions and put lemon in it. Cover with a lid and let marinate for 1 to 4 hours. If necessary, you can marinate the kebab in mineral water overnight.
Salt the pork skewers before frying to keep the meat juicy.
Seasoning meat with marinade:
Add marinade to meat. Mix well. Place in the refrigerator to marinate. The total marinating time is from 12 to 48 hours. It is advisable to thoroughly stir the meat every 4 hours. Of course, you can fry pork tenderloin raw, it will turn out soft. However, it is better to let the meat brew.
This is what marinated barbecue meat looks like.
Pork shish kebab in kiwi marinade
You will be surprised what amazing properties this small furry fruit has. And who would have guessed that a marinade for kiwi kebab could turn out to be the most powerful means for quickly preparing skewered meat. Thanks to its high vitamin C content and special enzymes, kiwi can soften meat in less than an hour. At the same time, not drying it out, but locking its own juice inside.
But you have to be very careful with such a marinade; if you leave the meat in it too long, it will begin to fall apart and crumble, turning rather into minced meat. But don't think that this makes kiwi a dangerous fruit for your health. On the contrary, kiwi is good for the body and digestion in particular, so feel free to put it in meat. Most importantly, don't forget about time.
For 1 kg of pork you will need:
- fresh kiwi - 1 piece,
- onions - 2-3 pieces,
- black peppercorns - 1 teaspoon,
- coriander - 1 teaspoon,
- rosemary - 1 teaspoon,
- vegetable oil - 2-3 tablespoons,
- salt to taste.
How to marinate pork kebab in kiwi:
Sprinkle the meat prepared and cut into equal cubes with spices and vegetable oil. Mix well.
Thinly chop the onion and also add it to the meat. Then peel the kiwi and grate it on a coarse grater. If the kiwi is very ripe. then you can simply knead it with your fingers until you get small pieces, almost puree. The most important thing is for the kiwi to release its juice.
Add kiwi to the meat and mix thoroughly, while kneading the meat so that it absorbs all the juices and spices. You should marinate the kebab in kiwi for no more than 1 hour; you can increase the time slightly only if you only have very tough and dry pork meat, such as ham or carbonate.
If desired, instead of coriander and rosemary, you can use other aromatic spices that you prefer. Fresh herbs also work well.
Salt the kebab before threading it onto skewers and start frying without delay.
Marinade for pork kebab with kiwi is great if you need quick cooking. This is a great way for spontaneous unplanned picnics and trips to the country.
Watch the video recipe on how to marinate shish kebab in kiwi:
Selection of raw materials
Quickly marinating meat for pork kebab is not a problem. But before that, you should choose it correctly. The product should be as fresh as possible, but not steamed. Most often, ribs are used for this dish, as well as meat from the shoulders and legs.
It should be especially noted that today, to prepare shish kebab, they use not only the most tender pork and aromatic lamb, but also beef and even poultry. By the way, the last option is the most economical, but no less tasty.
Mustard marinade for shish kebab
We are used to spreading this world-famous sauce on a ready-made piece of aromatic meat; everyone loves mustard for its special pungency and taste. But not everyone knows that mustard has amazing pickling properties. The day you try pork kebab marinated in mustard will change your attitude towards it forever.
Mustard itself is aromatic enough to give the meat its own special taste. Some may think that it will add spiciness, but this is not so; under the influence of temperature, all the spiciness disappears and only the amazing, spicy and slightly sweet taste of the mustard itself remains. But the meat becomes softer.
That's why we're adding a mustard-based marinade recipe to our list of the fastest marinades. To get a delicious soft and juicy pork kebab you will need only an hour. This will be enough to perfectly marinate kebab from any part of the pork carcass. But the neck, of course, is preferable.
For 1 kg of meat you will need:
- classic table mustard - 2-3 tablespoons,
- onions - 2-3 pieces,
- black pepper 0.5 teaspoon,
- vegetable oil - 2-3 tablespoons,
- aromatic spices (thyme, coriander, rosemary, cumin, basil, etc.) - 1 tablespoon,
- salt to taste.
Cooking pork shashlik in mustard:
If desired, you can add other ingredients to this marinade, for example, a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce or wine; even honey can complement the bouquet. But today we will look at the mustard-only option to create a starting point for future culinary creativity. This will be our standard.
You should start by preparing the meat. Once you have chopped it, mix it with the spices. You can take the spices that you like yourself or mix in equal proportions a combination of the ones suggested above. Ready-made spice sets are also suitable, but read the ingredients and do not use spices that have added monosodium glutamate. This is a flavor enhancer, which unfortunately will only spoil the magnificent aromatic kebab in mustard.
Add vegetable oil to the meat with spices and knead it thoroughly, then add the onion cut into rings.
By the way, if possible, try using olive oil rather than sunflower oil; this will change the taste of your kebab, adding subtle olive notes.
At the very end, add mustard and mix well. To marinate shish kebab in mustard, one hour is enough. Immediately after this, you can go to the grill in the fresh air and start frying it. The most amazing thing is that the meat will continue to soften during frying under high temperature.
This kebab is good served with fresh herbs, salads and baked potatoes.
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Whichever of the recipes discussed above you choose, they have one thing in common - short cooking time and excellent taste and juiciness of the meat as a result. We specially selected recipes that will help you marinate shish kebab quickly and tasty, even if guests are already on the threshold of the dacha or just good weather suddenly drags you out for a picnic. Believe me, no one will be disappointed with your kebab!
Bon appetit and happy holidays!
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How to choose the right meat
There is always a competitive process going on near meat counters: the seller wants to sell not the best piece, and the buyer wants to buy only the excellent one. Errors cannot be ruled out, especially among consumers.
How to choose:
- When purchasing any meat, including pork neck, ask the seller to show documents confirming that the meat has been inspected by a veterinary service. Remember, if they start telling you fairy tales about quality meat, instead of presenting a veterinary certificate, don’t waste your time, leave. If there is nothing to hide, the seller will show the documents at your request immediately;
- Do not buy very fresh pork neck, the so-called fresh meat, for barbecue. After cooking over coals, such meat will be tough and difficult to chew. Before cooking kebab, let the meat rest at a temperature of 0 to 6 degrees for at least 2 days;
- It is a mistake to think that bright red color indicates the freshness of meat. Place a white paper napkin on the piece of meat; if it is stained, it means the meat has been treated with some kind of preparation. The pork neck should have a natural pink hue;
- Also look at the color of the fat. It should have a white or cream tint. Meat with gray fat is a sign that the product is not fresh.
