Butcher chef Konstantin Laipakov shared the secrets of barbecue cooking. What kind of meat is ideal for barbecue? How to marinate meat in half an hour? How to cook a juicy shish kebab?
What is the best meat for a kebab?
Classical barbecue cooked from pork. Ideally from the neck. This meat is quite fatty, so the kebab will be juicy. A more dietary option is from the sirloin. If you look at this meat under a microscope, then there is even less fat in it than in chicken fillet. But the fillet must be cooked very carefully: it is easy to dry it out. The ham and shoulder are also suitable for kebabs, but these parts need to be marinated longer to soften the meat more. In the shashlik ham, choose the rump part: others can be dryish and dense. Chop the meat larger so that it is fried on top and soft on the inside.
How to make the perfect kebab marinade?
Many Ukrainians use vinegar when pickling meat. You shouldn't do this: he squeezes the meat, and the kebab becomes very dense. The meat can be marinated in kiwi, but not for long. Kiwi acid eats away meat very strongly, and it becomes like cotton wool. But if you need a quick marinade, then this is ideal: the meat will marinate in less than two hours. Pineapple juice (not packaged!) Has the same effect. But it is better not to use lemon: it can make the meat sour.
An indispensable component of an ideal marinade is onions. It needs to be cut as small as possible so that it gives all its juice. If you like to fry a kebab with onions, then it is better to cut it into rings separately for this purpose, and still chop it for the marinade. Add alkaline mineral water: it also softens the fibers. But you should not season the marinade for pork kebab with spices: they interrupt the taste of meat. From herbs, give preference to rosemary, thyme, basil. Not suitable for pork cilantro. It is advisable to marinate the meat in the evening, and in the morning you can go with it to nature.
Ideal meat for barbecue - pork neck / istockphoto.com
Secrets of cooking chicken kebab
The best option for barbecue is thighs. Usually the chicken looks ready in appearance, but when you cut it, it turns out to be damp near the bone. To avoid this, remove the meat from the bone in advance, cut into portions and cook on skewers. Chicken, unlike pork, can and should be marinated in spices. Which is a matter of taste.
Secrets of cooking veal barbecue
Veal should be dairy: the older the animal, the tougher the meat will be. The beef grown in Ukraine is not intended for barbecue, therefore it is advised to take a dairy calf. For barbecue, marinate meat in kefir, mustard, onion, salt and pepper.
Children love to cook and eat kebabs / istockphoto.com
Secrets of cooking lamb kebab
Use the meat of the back leg for the kebab. To minimize the peculiar smell, trim the meat, removing as much fat as possible. Also, take a lamb: the older the animal, the stronger the smell will be. Cut the meat into cubes and add chili, garlic, rosemary, cilantro, lemongrass, plus some olive oil. Let the lamb steep in the marinade for a day and only then fry the kebab.
Life hacks from the chef
- To make the barbecue fragrant, use cherry or apple branches for frying.
- Do not place skewers close to each other, otherwise you will end up with one solid piece of meat. The kebab needs room for the meat to cook evenly.
- If the veal can be left half-baked, then the pork must be roasted completely. To understand that the kebab is ready, make an incision. If the meat is fried on top, but inside it remains damp, remove it from the heat and wrap it in foil: it will come to readiness.
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