Of course, it’s winter now, and the only place you can enjoy shashlik is at a restaurant. But let’s take a moment to remember that incomparable aroma, the tenderness and juiciness of the meat, the fresh air, and the warm sunshine. Spring will come, and you’ll already have a few great recipes for our beloved dish on hand 🙂
Let’s start with onions—the essential component of delicious shashlik. They are often used in marinades because onions positively affect the texture and flavor of the meat. It’s best to sprinkle chopped onions with salt and spices, then crush them with your hands to release their juices. Take your meat (in this case, we’ll use lamb, preferably from the hindquarters). Cut it into moderately sized pieces, add diced fat, and mix everything with green onions, coriander, and black pepper. Let it marinate for 2 hours, then thoroughly remove all the onions from the meat before grilling. Be sure to turn the shashlik frequently to retain its juices and fat. The grilling process will take about 10-15 minutes.
No one can argue that the tastiest shashlik comes from quality, fresh meat. Let’s take beef—marbled beef, to be specific. For this type of meat, a marinade is almost unnecessary. Just salt and pepper will do. The key to success is proper cooking. If the meat is tender and juicy, cut it into larger pieces to help retain that juiciness.
And now…yes, yes! You might be wondering how we can have shashlik without pork 🙂 It’s essential when it comes to delicious, aromatic shashlik. In fact, you can grill this meat without any spices. However, I do have a little tip. Take a couple of tomatoes and strain the juice, discarding the pulp and seeds. Add a bit of soy sauce, starch, red pepper or paprika, salt, honey, and sesame oil to this juice. Mix everything well and immerse the meat, cut into large pieces, in it. Chop garlic, leeks, and peppers separately to sprinkle over the skewered shashlik. When the meat starts to form a crust, brush it with the remaining marinade. This marinade can burn easily, so be careful.
Now, let’s talk about fish. Who said shashlik has to be only meat? You can use any fish you like. I used sturgeon. Here, spices are crucial—go for the most aromatic and spicy ones you can find. For the marinade, take three tablespoons of sour cream (you can use yogurt or cream, whatever you prefer), add one and a half tablespoons of tomato paste, a couple of tablespoons of your favorite spicy seasonings, half a head of garlic, ginger (to taste—many people don’t like ginger), a tablespoon of paprika, cardamom, red pepper, vegetable oil, and salt. Blend everything until finely chopped, preferably in a blender, and coat the fish with the mixture. Let it marinate for about 6 hours in a cool place. Fish is usually grilled on a rack, but I prefer it well-done, so I use regular skewers. You can drizzle a few drops of lemon juice over the finished shashlik.
Another delicacy is shashlik made from… don’t be alarmed… lamb testicles! It’s an unusual dish, but just as tasty as any other shashlik. It’s quite simple to prepare. Cut them lengthwise, not too deeply, and remove the membranes. Then season with salt and pepper, skewer them, and grill quickly. Alternatively, you can season them, sprinkle with a mix of red peppers, coat in breadcrumbs, and grill. In both cases, serve with pomegranate or lemon juice. It pairs well with white wine or vodka. You can also chop garlic, add olive oil, and serve it alongside the shashlik with some lightly toasted white bread.
Now, let’s move on to vegetables. You can make excellent shashlik from them, which will be a delicious complement to meat or fish. Slice garlic into thin strips. Then skewer bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, and garlic, wrapping them in fatback to retain moisture and enhance the flavor and aroma of the vegetables.
You can also make stuffed vegetables. I took chili peppers. Remove the partitions and seeds, and fill the peppers with any meat filling mixed with plenty of aromatic herbs: basil, dill, mint, etc. You can also use leeks and eggplants—hollow them out to form tubes, fill them with the filling, and skewer them: pepper, onion, and eggplant, then pepper, onion, and so on. Grill this shashlik starting from the ends to set the filling, and only then from the sides. It’s a bit of a labor-intensive process, but trust me—the result is worth it.
You can also prepare eggplants with filling a bit differently. Cut them into thick rings and salt them. Then mix the meat with fat into a very fine filling (I used a regular meat grinder) and place small, flattened patties between the eggplant rings. Try to make these patties slightly smaller in diameter than the eggplant rings so that they cook better, absorbing all the meat juices.
Now, one of the most unusual shashliks, in my opinion, is lamb with anchovies. It’s an unexpected combination, but believe me, the result is very harmonious and incredibly delicious. The best cut for this is the loin of the lamb, without the ribs. Cut off the remaining spine so you can roll the meat into a ring. Slice 4 onions into half-moons and sauté them in a mixture of butter and olive oil until they start to turn golden. Add garlic, rosemary, and anchovy fillets, and sauté until the onions are nicely browned. Then blend all the ingredients with some vinegar. Spread the resulting mixture on the inside of the meat, and tie it with slightly boiled leeks (boiled leeks will be flexible like a rope). Grill on a rack. Serve with olive oil and artichokes, and enjoy with wine.
Veal. The tender, beloved meat. Prepare it as follows: flatten the meat as thin as possible, season with salt and pepper, wrap it in thin strips of fat or ham, and skewer it. Quick, simple, and incredibly delicious.
Next up is shashlik made from tongue (lamb, veal, beef, or pork). Since tongues are quite tough on their own, they require a special marinade. Chop onions, garlic, bell peppers, and tomatoes (you can add a bit of water), place them in a pot, and simmer the tongues in this mixture over very low heat for an hour. Remove the tongues, strain the juice from the mixture, and return it to the heat to thicken. You’ll use this sauce to brush the pieces of tongue before grilling. This shashlik cooks quite quickly, so don’t miss the moment. By the way, you can prepare lamb ribs in the same way—finger-licking good!
And still, no matter how you twist it, the most ordinary shashlik made from lamb fillet is the most delicious thing you can get from the combination of meat and an open flame. Minimal spices, a pinch of salt, and—the most important—proper cooking. Is vinegar necessary? Not for the marinade. But you can drizzle a couple of drops of spiced vinegar over the finished shashlik and sliced onions. And don’t grill too much at once—this shashlik is best enjoyed in the first few minutes after being taken off the heat. But, as practice shows, it doesn’t last long 🙂
Bon appétit and here’s to an early spring!
