How to get rid of the smell of lamb. Ideal meat: how to cook mutton without smell How to marinate lamb so that it is soft

Spring and summer are the time for trips to nature, and the best treat for a picnic is barbecue. Connoisseurs say that lamb kebab is the most delicious, but only if it is cooked correctly. Lamb is a specific meat and inexperienced cooks do not always get dishes from it. Let's figure out how to properly marinate lamb for barbecue so that the meat is soft, juicy and does not have an unpleasant odor.

Before you start preparing the marinade, you need to choose the right meat. The main secret of odorless cooking is that you need to take the meat of young animals under the age of one year. Of course, any seller will praise their product, so it is important to learn how to determine the quality of meat yourself. Before you buy a piece you like, pay attention to the following points:

Color. This is a very important indicator. The meat of young animals is bright red, and the fat is white, slightly pinkish. Old lamb is dark red with grey-yellow friable fat.
Ribs. In a young lamb, the ribs are thin and flexible; if the intercostal space is narrow, then this is the carcass of an old animal.
Smell. The meat should not smell strongly. If you purchase a frozen carcass, then it will be difficult to determine the smell. Therefore, try to "fry" a small piece of frozen meat in the flame of a lighter. If it starts to spread a strong smell of ammonia, then you should refrain from buying.

What part of the meat to take for barbecue

In addition, it is important to know which part to take. Suitable for barbecues:

loin;
ribs;
pulp from the back leg;
tenderloin.

But the spatula for barbecue is not suitable, such meat is more suitable for boiling.

After the meat is selected, it must be cut into medium-sized pieces and marinated. Preparing the most delicious marinade is not so difficult, but you need to understand that everyone has different tastes. Therefore, we offer you several proven recipes to choose from.

Interesting facts: the word "kebab" came into the Russian language from the Turkic peoples. Literally translated, it means "twirl, fry on a spit."

Classic lamb skewers recipe

Let's start with the classic barbecue recipe. The marinade is prepared as simply as possible, the main incident is the onion.

3 kg of meat (pulp of the hind leg or kidney part);
6-7 large onions;
salt;
black ground pepper.

Only fresh young lamb meat is suitable for preparing this dish. From old lamb and frozen meat, a delicious barbecue cannot be cooked.

The washed meat should be washed and cut into pieces with a taste of 40-45 grams. Too large pieces may not be fried, and if you chop the lamb finely, then the kebab will turn out dry. When preparing the marinade according to the classic recipe, vinegar cannot be used, the addition of this ingredient “takes away” the natural taste and color from the meat. But if you wish, you can supplement the marinade recipe with a few slices of lemon, although it is not used in the classic recipe.

To prepare the marinade, you need to cut the onion into rings, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and lightly mash. This is a very important point, it is the onions that are sprinkled with spices, and not the meat.

We take glass, ceramic or enameled dishes, lay out onion and meat in thin layers. When all the layers are laid, the mass needs to be tamped a little with your hands, covered with a flat plate and put a load on top. Dishes with meat should be put in the refrigerator for at least 18 hours, but meat is usually marinated for a day.

Then you will need to string the meat and onions on skewers and fry over hot coals. We serve fresh herbs, vegetables, adjika and tkemali sauce to the finished meat.

Caucasian lamb shish kebab

There are many options for cooking lamb skewers in Caucasian style. The meat is marinated in wine vinegar, dry wine, lemon or pomegranate juice. Each region of the Caucasus has its own barbecue recipe, so it is extremely difficult to say which one is “correct”. Here is a simple and quick recipe for marinating meat in tkemali sauce.

1 kg of lamb pulp;
200 gr. onion;
200 gr. tkemali sauce;
salt and spices to taste.

Cut lamb into medium-sized pieces. Chop the onion as finely as possible, you can grate or grind in a blender. Mix onion mass with meat and tkemali sauce. Add onions and spices. From spices, you can use suneli hops, dry herbs, black and red ground pepper. The meat should be well kneaded with your hands as if kneading dough. It is important that the marinade covers each piece from all sides.

We stand the meat in the marinade (in the cold) for at least 12 hours. Then you need to string the pieces on skewers and fry the kebabs over hot coals. As a side dish, we serve fresh or roasted tomatoes, baked eggplants and, of course, a lot of fresh herbs.

Soft Georgian lamb shish kebab in wine vinegar

Let's cook lamb shish kebab in Georgian style. In this recipe, the meat needs to be soaked in wine vinegar. Please note that it is impossible to replace wine vinegar with ordinary table vinegar, such a replacement will greatly worsen the taste of meat.

1.5 kg of lamb pulp;
2-3 large onions;
3-4 cloves of garlic;
150 gr. melted lamb fat;
15 gr. flour;
0.5 teaspoon of ground red pepper;
ground black pepper, allspice to taste;
0.25 cups of wine vinegar;
salt to taste.

We wash the lamb, dry it. Cut into rectangular pieces weighing 40-45 grams. We shift the meat into glass, enamel or ceramic dishes. We clean the onion and garlic. We cut the onion into thin half rings, the garlic into thin slices, mix the vegetables with the meat.

Read also: How to cook barbecue in the oven at home: 12 juicy recipes

Add spices to taste (until we salt), pour the meat with vinegar and mix well. We leave the meat to marinate for 4-6 hours (you can leave it overnight). We take out the meat, add salt, mix and leave for another half hour. Then we string the meat on skewers and lightly dust the meat with flour. Fry kebabs over hot coals, periodically pouring meat with melted fat.

Armenian lamb shish kebab with tomatoes and onions

Armenian lamb shish kebab turns out to be very tasty and juicy, meat is cooked with tomatoes and onions.

1 kilogram of lamb pulp;
4 bulbs;
4 tomatoes;
4 pods of bell pepper;
2 eggplants;
120 gr. fresh herbs (cilantro, parsley, green onion);
2 tablespoons of wine vinegar;
1 teaspoon dry basil;
1 teaspoon stewed thyme;
salt and black ground pepper to taste.

We thoroughly wash the meat, dry it. Cut into cubes with a side of about 6 cm. Peel the onion, cut into thick rings, mix it with meat. Add spices, salt, wine vinegar. Mix everything well and leave in the refrigerator for several hours. The minimum marinating time is 4 hours, but it is better to leave the lamb overnight.

We prepare vegetables, wash and cut, sprinkle with spices and salt. You can sprinkle with vegetable oil and vinegar. Lamb strung on skewers mixed with pieces of vegetables and onions. Roast over hot coals. Serve with spicy sauces and fresh herbs.

Azerbaijani lamb shish kebab

To cook Azerbaijani-style lamb skewers, you need fresh pomegranate juice. How to squeeze juice from a pomegranate? There are two simple methods. In the first case, the fruit is cut in half and a regular citrus juicer is used. If there is no such juicer, then you can handle the work manually. It is necessary to remove the seeds from the pomegranate, put them in a tight plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin several times with force. Then you need to cut off the corner of the package and drain the juice through a strainer.

To prepare a barbecue you need:

2 kg lamb (pulp);
4 bulbs;
1 lemon;
2-3 cups of pomegranate juice;
pepper and salt to taste.

We wash the lamb flesh, dry it with a napkin and cut into medium-sized pieces. Cut the onion into rings 0.5 cm thick. Mix the meat with onions, pepper, salt, knead well with your hands. We try to rub the spices into the meat, and mash the onion so that the juice stands out.

Next, you need to squeeze the juice from the lemon and pomegranate. Pour fruit juices into the meat so that the liquid completely covers the food. Mix the products and put in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. We put the marinated meat on skewers, alternating with onion rings. Roast over coals.

Uzbek mutton kebab with vinegar and onion

Lamb skewers can be cooked in Uzbek style, the marinade is prepared with vinegar and onions, the use of spices is mandatory. The meat is strung on skewers mixed with pieces of lamb lard.

600 gr. lamb;
50 gr. interior fat;
80 gr. parsley and dill;
200 gr. onion;
50 ml apple cider vinegar;
30 gr. wheat flour;
spices (zira, anise, ground red pepper), salt to taste.

Wash the meat and cut into medium-sized pieces. Place the meat in a marinating bowl. Add the onion, chopped into large rings, mix, slightly kneading the meat and onion.

Boil the vinegar, adding salt, pepper and other spices to it. Cool this mixture and pour it into the meat. Mix well, cover with a plate and put a load on top. We leave the lamb in the cold to marinate for at least 4 hours, but you can marinate longer - 10-12 hours.

Cut the lamb lard into small pieces. We string meat on skewers, after every 2 pieces we insert a piece of lard and an onion ring. Dust the prepared skewers with flour and fry them on the grill. Serve shish kebab with fresh herbs.

Tashkent shish kebab from lamb "Uch panja kebob"

You can cook the Tashkent version of lamb kebab, which is called "Uch panja kebob" or "Three fingers" in Russian. This dish got its name due to the fact that the products are strung on three skewers at once.

1-1.2 kg of lamb;
300-400 gr. tail fat;
300 gr. onion;
5 gr. coriander and zira;
100 ml of sparkling water;
black pepper, salt.

We clean the meat well, cutting off all the films and veins. Cut into rectangular pieces across the fibers along the entire length of the piece. The result is elongated pieces of different lengths. We put it in a dense plastic bag in one layer and lightly beat off. Then transfer to a marinating bowl.

Grind spices and salt in a mortar or grind in a coffee grinder. We chop the onion in half rings. Sprinkle the onion with prepared spices and grind with your hands to separate the juice. We shift the onion mass with meat, knead everything well with our hands. Then pour sparkling water and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, it is better to leave in the refrigerator overnight.

Fat tail fat is cut into rectangular pieces, which are twice as thin and shorter than the meat. We spread the pieces of meat on the board, alternating them with pieces of fat in the form of a trapezoid. We put the longest piece first, then the shorter ones, put fat tail fat between the pieces of meat. In total, you should get 5 pieces of lamb and 4 pieces of fat. We thread the first skewer so that it passes through the center of our "trapezium", and the other two - along the edges, they need to be placed at an angle.

The result is a fan-shaped structure of skewers. Grill over coals, turning frequently.

Original barbecue in Altai

Altaian lamb shish kebab is prepared in an original way. It is necessary to marinate meat in a cedar barrel, thanks to the use of this dish, the taste of meat is unusual. The kebab is not fried on skewers, but on a barbecue grill, and the pieces of meat must be wrapped in foil.

2-3 kg lamb tenderloin;
5-6 bulbs;
1 bunch of greens (cilantro, parsley);
1 handful of currant leaves (preferably wild, but you can also garden);
a few pinches of dry thyme;
ground red pepper and salt to taste.

First of all, it is necessary to steam currant leaves. Currant leaves washed in cold water are put in a cedar barrel and poured with a liter of boiling water. We cover the barrel with a terry towel folded in several layers and leave it until the water has completely cooled.

Cut the meat into large pieces across the fibers (about 2-3 pieces per serving). We chop the onion not too thin half rings. We chop greens.

Read also: How to marinate chicken skewers - 20 best recipes

Put a layer of onion into the cooled infusion of currant leaves, sprinkle with a good pinch of salt, pepper, put the pieces of meat in one layer, sprinkle with chopped herbs on top and add a pinch of thyme. We continue to lay out the layers - onion, salt, pepper, pieces of meat, herbs and thyme.

We lay out until all the products run out. The top layer is made from onions. We put a wooden cedar circle on the products, put a load on top, for example, a 2-liter jar of water. We stand the meat in this marinade for a day. During this time, it will be necessary to mix all the ingredients 3-4 times.

To cook meat, you need to prepare foil and a barbecue grill. Put 1 piece of meat with a small amount of onion on a piece of foil, wrap it well so that the juice does not flow out. Put these pieces on the grill. We cover the grate with a lid, fix it. Grill over hot coals, turning occasionally, for 30-40 minutes. Serve cooked meat with fresh vegetables.

Turkish lamb skewers

According to a different technology, Turkish lamb skewers are prepared.

2 kg boneless lamb;
1 large onion;
3 cloves of garlic;
1 tomato;
2 tablespoons of tomato paste;
1 tablespoon of hyssop;
1 tablespoon of zira;
ground black pepper and salt to taste.

We thoroughly wash the meat, cut off all the films and cut into small (30-35 gr.) Pieces. Cut the onion into not too thin half rings, mix it with the onion. Add thinly sliced tomato.

We carefully grind the spices, you can grind in a coffee grinder or grind in a mortar. Pour the spices into the meat with onions, put the tomato paste. Mix well and knead the meat with your hands. Leave warm for 1.5 hours. After that, you can fry. If it is not possible to immediately fry the meat, then you need to put it in the refrigerator after 1.5 hours.

Turkish kebab can be cooked on the grill, as usual, or in the oven. In the latter case, we string the meat on wooden skewers and put it on a wire rack, under which we will not forget to substitute a baking sheet so that the meat juice does not stain the bottom of the oven. Cook for 10 minutes at 220 degrees, then turn over and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes.

Advice! So that wooden skewers do not char in the oven, they must be soaked in cold water for half an hour before stringing meat.

Abkhaz lamb kebab in pomegranate juice

To cook Abkhazian barbecue, you will need to marinate the meat in pomegranate juice.

1 kg of lamb pulp;
5 bulbs;
5 red fleshy tomatoes;
2 bell peppers (preferably different colors);
1 glass of pomegranate juice;
0.25 cups of wine vinegar;
salt and spices to taste, from spices it is recommended to use red and black ground pepper, cumin, coriander, dry basil and thyme.

To make the barbecue tasty, you must definitely use the recommended set of spices. They need to be prepared in advance. We combine all dry spices and grind with a mortar or grind in a meat grinder until a powder is obtained.

Wash and clean vegetables. We cut two onions into rings about 0.5 cm wide, chop the rest of the onions thinly. We wash the lamb, protect it from films and cut into pieces of medium size. Mix with thinly sliced onion, sprinkle with salt and knead well so that the onion releases juice.

In a marinating dish, lay out in layers, first onion rings, then meat in a low layer and spices. Repeat layers until you run out of layers. The top layer should be from onion rings. Pour the meat with pomegranate juice and wine vinegar. Leave to marinate for 8-10 hours. In the process of marinating, you need to mix the meat well a couple of times. It is necessary not only to mix, but to sort of squeeze the meat, squeezing the pieces in a fist. Thanks to this technique, the meat will be saturated with marinade, and the barbecue will be juicy.

Wash and cut vegetables. On a skewer we string pieces of meat, onion rings, mugs of tomatoes and pieces of pepper. Grill skewers over hot coals.

Marinade for lamb shish kebab on mineral water with rye bread

For cooking barbecue on mineral water, it is recommended to use the pulp from the back leg of a young lamb.

2 kg lamb;
2 onions;
2 tomatoes;
1 liter of sparkling water;
One third of a loaf of black rye bread;

Meat cut into pieces of medium size. We cut the onion into rings (not too thin), the tomatoes into small cubes. We mix all the products, sprinkle with salt and knead the products a little so that the vegetables release the juice.

Cut the crusts off the bread and cut into small cubes. Drizzle the bread with juice squeezed from half a lemon and sparkling water. Let the bread soak, and then knead it with your hand into a mush. Pour the prepared liquid into a container for meat with vegetables. Mix and keep in the cold for 10-12 hours. We fry, stringing pieces of meat mixed with onion rings on skewers.

Delicious marinade for lamb with kiwi

Delicious lamb marinated with kiwi. Tropical fruits contain a large amount of fruit acids, which soften the meat well and give the kebab a delicate flavor.

1 kg of lamb pulp;
250 gr. onion;
200 gr. kiwi;
pepper and salt to taste.

We wash the meat, cut into pieces weighing about 30 grams. We clean the onion, chop it in half rings. We wash the kiwi well and cut into medium-sized cubes without peeling.

Mix the meat with onions and chopped fruit, add salt and pepper. You can use other spices if you like. For example, you can add sweet paprika, dry basil, thyme.

Mix the meat very well with the rest of the ingredients. It is necessary not only to interfere, but to grind the products so that the onion and kiwi extract as much juice as possible. Put the meat with the marinade in the cold for 18-24 hours. Then it will be possible to strung on skewers and roast over hot coals.

Juicy lamb skewers marinated in kefir

Those who do not like the specific smell emanating from lamb are recommended to marinate the barbecue from this meat on kefir. This fermented milk product perfectly beats off the aroma.

2 kg lamb;
1.5 liters of kefir;
0.5 cups of vegetable oil;
0.5 cups of lemon juice;
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest;
2 teaspoons of salt;
1 teaspoon ground black pepper;
1 bunch of cilantro;
4 cloves of garlic.

We wash and clean the lamb pulp, removing films and excess fat. It is not necessary to cut off all the fat, small streaks must be left so that the kebab turns out to be soft and not dry.

Initially, shish kebab was made from lamb, and today many recognize only this. However, not everyone dares to fry this particular meat on coals, fearing that it will turn out to be harsh or smell unpleasant. All these fears are groundless if you know how to choose the right meat for barbecue and make a delicious marinade for lamb barbecue. If the technology for preparing meat for barbecue is well known and clear to you and you managed to find a successful marinade recipe that is suitable for your chosen meat, you will not have to expect unpleasant surprises.

How to marinate lamb

In order for the lamb kebab to turn out tender, juicy and fragrant, it is not enough to know how to properly fry it on the grill. Much more significant role is played by the preparation of meat. Choosing the right lamb and marinating it, you will almost certainly get an excellent kebab that will appeal to all picnic participants.

Avoid buying meat that has been frozen for barbecue. After defrosting, especially if it was done quickly, in violation of the rules, the meat loses its juiciness. The kebab from it is highly likely to come out dry and tough. Sometimes thawed meat is sold in the market under the guise of fresh meat. Under a piece of such lamb you can find a bloody puddle, on the surface of the meat - traces of snow. Even if there are no obvious signs that the lamb has been frozen, it makes sense to try to put pressure on the piece with your finger. If a hole is formed on it, filled with liquid, then this indicates that the meat was still frozen. There will be no hole on fresh meat, it will quickly take its original shape.
It is better to take the meat of a young lamb for barbecue. It cooks faster, it turns out more tender, has a more pleasant smell. In color, such meat is lighter and brighter than old lamb, and its fat has an almost completely white tint, while it is yellowish in old lamb.
The length of time that lamb should be kept in the marinade before frying depends on the composition of the marinade and on the meat itself. Young lamb meat is usually marinated from 1 hour to 3-4 hours, old lamb must be marinated for 8-12 hours.
Lamb marinade usually contains acidic foods that prevent the protein from folding during heat treatment, which makes the kebab soft. When these products come into contact with aluminum, harmful substances are formed, which is why such dishes for marinating lamb for barbecue are not suitable. It is better for this purpose to choose containers made of glass, ceramics, stainless steel, as well as those coated with enamel.
Salt is added to the marinade only half an hour, a maximum of an hour before frying the meat. Otherwise, the salt will draw a lot of liquid out of the lamb and the kebab will be dry.

Each type of meat has its own set of spices and seasonings. For this reason, pork marinade recipes are not always suitable for lamb or chicken. Therefore, for the preparation of lamb kebab, you should choose marinade recipes that are suitable specifically for this type of meat.

Kiwi lamb marinade

lamb - 2 kg;
onions - 0.5 kg;
kiwi - 0.3 kg;
lemon - 1 pc.;
orange - 1 pc.;
vegetable oil (refined) - 5 ml;
herbs, pepper, salt - to taste.

Recipe for the occasion::

Cooking method:

Wash and dry the meat. Remove inedible parts. Cut the pulp into pieces about 5 by 5 centimeters in size.
Peel the onion, cut each onion into 4-8 pieces. Grind the onion in a blender or with a meat grinder. Put in the container in which you plan to marinate the meat. Pour the onion juice released during grinding into the same container.
Wash the lemon, cut it in half. Squeeze out the juice from it into a container with onion puree.
Wash and peel the orange. Divide it into slices. Cut into small pieces with a knife. Put the orange in a container with the onion-lemon mass, drain the released orange juice there.
Peel the kiwi. Chop the pulp with a knife. The smaller the pieces, the better.
Put the kiwi pieces to the rest of the chopped products, mix.
Add spices and herbs to taste, mix again.
Dip the lamb into the resulting mass. Toss with your hands until the marinade coats each piece of meat. Place in refrigerator.

Fruit acids are very effective in tenderizing meat. Kiwi marinade is so good that it is enough to hold even old lamb in it for 2.5 hours, no longer. The meat of a young lamb will be ready in an hour. It is undesirable to keep it in the kiwi marinade for more than the specified time, because if the meat is overexposed in it, it will begin to separate into fibers right in your hands.

Marinade with Vinegar and Onion for Lamb

young lamb - 1.5 kg;
onions - 0.5 kg;
vinegar essence (70 percent) - 20 ml;
vegetable oil - 20 ml;
a mixture of peppers, salt - to taste;
dried basil - 20 g;
coriander seeds - 5 g;
water - as needed.

Cooking method:

Prepare the meat by rinsing it, blotting it with a napkin, removing the veins and cutting into pieces weighing 40–50 g.
Sprinkle with pepper and basil, coriander seeds, mix with your hands.
Free the onions from the husk and cut into not too thin rings or half rings. Remember a little with your hands so that the onion starts up the juice, and put it on the meat. Stir to distribute the onion evenly.
Mix vinegar essence with oil and dilute this mixture in a glass of clean water.
Pour marinade over meat. Add enough water to completely cover the meat.
Remove the lamb container from the refrigerator.

It is not necessary to marinate young lamb with vinegar and onions for a long time, two hours is enough. If the lamb is old, then it should be kept in the marinade longer, 8-10 hours. You need to salt the meat about half an hour before cooking it.

Marinade for lamb with mayonnaise

lamb - 2.5 kg;
mayonnaise - 0.2 l;
mustard - 20 ml;
onions - 0.3 kg;
ground dried paprika - 5 g;
sugar - 5 g;
thyme - 5 g;
cilantro (dried) - 5 g;
salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

Place the mayonnaise in a small bowl or bowl.
Add mustard, spices, sugar. Mix thoroughly so that the sauce acquires a uniform consistency.
Put the mayonnaise sauce in a saucepan or other container in which the lamb will be marinated.
Peel the onion, cut into thin half rings and mix with the sauce.
Cut the prepared meat into pieces suitable for shish kebab and dip into the pan with the sauce. Toss with your hands so that the sauce coats each piece.
Remove the pot of lamb from the refrigerator.

Marinate young lamb in mayonnaise for about 2 hours, old lamb for about 6-8 hours, you can leave it overnight. An hour before cooking kebabs, lamb can be salted. In mayonnaise sauce, lamb turns out to be especially tender and juicy, with a pleasant spicy taste, imparted to the meat by mustard and spices.

Marinade for lamb with mineral water

lamb - 2.5 kg;
carbonated mineral water - 0.3–0.5 l;
tomatoes - 0.5 kg;
rye bread - 100 g;
lemon - 1 pc.;
salt, spices - to taste.

Cooking method:

Prepare the lamb for marinating by washing it, blotting it with a kitchen towel, and cutting it into pieces about 5 cm.
Pour seasonings into a container with meat, roll meat pieces in them.
Peel the onion and cut it into thin rings. Put them on the meat.
Wash and cut the tomatoes into circles, place on top.
Finely chop the bread, spread the bread slices on the tomatoes. You can use rye crackers - it will be even better.
Squeeze juice from one lemon into a glass of mineral water, stir. Pour this mixture over the contents of the bowl.
Top up with mineral water so that the liquid completely covers the meat, vegetables and bread.
Lamb should be marinated in the refrigerator.

Mineral water-based marinade turns out to be quite soft, so it takes a long time to marinate meat in it. Usually young lamb is kept in it for 2.5-3 hours, old - from 10 to 12 hours. But the kebab in the end is very tender and juicy.

Marinade for lamb with wine

lamb - 2.5 kg;
soy sauce - 150 ml;
red dry wine - 150 ml;
onions - 0.5 kg;
lemon - 1 pc.;
garlic - 1 clove;
sugar - 5 g;
spices - to taste.

Cooking method:

Wash a piece of lamb, dry it with a kitchen towel, cut into pieces of 40-50 g each.
Sprinkle with spices and finely chopped garlic, mix.
Free the onion from the husk and cut into half rings. If the onions are not too large, you can cut into rings.
Separate the onion with your hands and put it to the meat, mix, evenly distributing the onion.
In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce, wine and juice squeezed from one lemon.
Pour the marinade over the lamb.

Marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, depending on how young the lamb was. Salt the meat half an hour before cooking the barbecue.

According to this recipe, lamb ribs can also be marinated. They can be fried both on skewers and on the grill.

Honey marinade for lamb skewers

lamb - 2.5 kg;
onions - 0.3 kg;
dried barberry - 5 g;
dried basil - 20 g;
honey - 20 ml;
soy sauce - 100 ml;
garlic - 2 cloves;
vegetable oil - 100 ml.

Cooking method:

Prepare the lamb and cut into pieces of the desired size.
Crush the garlic with a special press, mix it with basil, soy sauce, oil and honey melted to a liquid state.
Peel the onion and cut into small pieces, mix with the marinade.
Put the lamb pieces in the marinade, mix well.

Marinate lamb in honey sauce for 2-4 hours. The delicate taste of shish kebab from such meat is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent.

By choosing the right lamb marinade recipe and marinating it correctly, you will surely be able to cook a delicious shish kebab, juicy, tender and fragrant. Serve it with adjika or other spicy sauce, pickled onions and fresh vegetables. Instead of bread, it is advisable to serve pita bread.

Product Matrix: 🥄

The right choice of ingredients is the key to a delicious dish, so the following describes how to choose the right meat and which part of the lamb is best for barbecue.

The most delicious lamb kebab is obtained from young meat, as it is very soft and devoid of a characteristic unpleasant odor. The age of the ram should be no more than one year. Its color will help to determine a good carcass; in young rams, the meat is noticeably lighter than in old ones. If we talk about which part of the lamb is best suited for barbecue, then here preference should be given to the ham or front shoulder blade. Usually these parts of the carcass are used because of the fleshiness and lack of connective tissue. Frozen meat should also be avoided as it loses its flavor. In order to check if the lamb has been frozen, you need to press it with your finger. Meat that has been frozen will permanently deform and water will come out on it at the point of pressing. Fresh lamb, in turn, will quickly acquire its original shape.

Remember that only good meat will make the most delicious and juicy lamb skewers.

Marinade for lamb skewers

The basis for a good barbecue is the marinade.

Before marinating, cut the meat into squares about 4-5 centimeters in size. Meat of this size will be able to marinate well, will not become too dry during the frying process, and at the same time will be the most juicy. For pickling, you need to use a deep container made of glass, ceramics, stainless steel or any enameled dishes. It is strongly not recommended to marinate meat in an aluminum pan, as in this case the lamb will have an unpleasant metallic taste. When aluminum comes into contact with products such as citric acid or vinegar used in the marinade, harmful substances are released, which a person feels when eating ready-made meat for food. Salt the meat should be about half an hour before cooking, because the salt can pull the juice out of the meat and the kebab will turn out very dry.

Lamb barbecue recipes

There are many variations on how to marinate and how to cook lamb skewers. Better recipes will be presented below.

Caucasian lamb shish kebab

Ingredients

1. Lamb
Greenery
Salt to taste and other spices
grape vinegar
Purified cold water

Pour clean drinking water into the container and add 2-3 tablespoons of grape vinegar there. Mix until a homogeneous consistency.

In a free bowl, lay out layers of already chopped lamb and chopped onion rings. You can add spices to your taste, but do not forget that salt is put at the end. Pour the prepared marinade over the meat so that the liquid completely covers it. Cover with a lid and place in a cool place out of direct sunlight. For example, in the refrigerator. Let marinate for 3-4 hours. At this time, you can prepare the grill. When stringing pieces of meat on skewers, you need to leave at least small gaps between them. The meat will be fried for about 20 minutes, during its cooking the skewers need to be turned over regularly. You can sprinkle the kebab with the remaining marinade during the frying process, so the lamb will be saturated with its smell. At the end of cooking, you can remove the meat from the skewer and serve it to the table, decorating with herbs.

Armenian lamb shish kebab

Ingredients:

Mutton

Spices to taste

Onion

Tomatoes

bell pepper

eggplant

Many consider this lamb skewers recipe to be the most delicious of them all.

Sliced and washed meat must be put in a bowl, periodically sprinkling it with vinegar. Next, add spices to taste. Cut the onion into rings, put in a bowl and mix everything well. Onions should highlight the juice, pay special attention to this. We put in the refrigerator to marinate. Armenian barbecue is marinated for quite a long time, about 10 hours, so it is recommended to prepare the meat in the evening, before the day of its preparation. Meanwhile, wash the tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant. Remove seeds from vegetables. After the time has passed, we string everything on a skewer, alternating meat, onions and vegetables. The latter, by the way, need to be baked whole. The barbecue takes about 20 minutes. Serve vegetables and meat on the same plate.

Azerbaijani lamb shish kebab

Ingredients

Mutton
Tomatoes
Lemon
Butter
Wine or lemon vinegar
Tkemali sauce
Dill and parsley
Black ground pepper and other spices

The recipe for Azerbaijani shish kebab is quite simple.

Put the meat in a bowl and sprinkle generously with black pepper. After pouring wine or, in extreme cases, lemon vinegar. Mix thoroughly and put in a cool place for 5-6 hours. Before cooking, do not forget to salt the lamb and grease it with butter, so we get a delicious barbecue. Cook on skewers until done. The barbecue is served with fresh tomatoes, herbs, lemon slices and tkemali sauce.

Lamb shish kebab under mineral water

Ingredients:

Mutton
Mineral water
Lemon
Spices to taste
Fresh vegetables

Many barbecue lovers claim that marinating meat with mineral water makes the dish very tasty and juicy.

First, cut the meat and put it in a bowl for the marinade. Next, cut the onion into half rings and add to the lamb. Lemon should be cut into two parts. Cut one of them into medium-sized slices and add to the marinade. After all this, spices can also be added to the meat to taste. Mix all the contents of the marinade thoroughly. Pour the ingredients with pure mineral water. The liquid should completely cover the lamb, for this you need about 500 milliliters of mineral water. After that, it is necessary to squeeze the citrus juice from the second remaining half of the lemon into the marinade and put the meat in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. If desired, the kebab can be salted about half an hour before cooking. Grilling meat on the grill will take about 20 minutes. It is recommended to serve the dish on a plate with fresh vegetables.

Lamb skewers with pomegranate sauce

Ingredients:

Mutton
condiments
Garlic
Lemon
Butter or sunflower oil
Lemon
Pomegranate juice
Greenery

The meat for this recipe needs to be cut into pieces smaller than usual, about 3-4 centimeters. Next, cut the onion into half rings and, lightly sprinkling it with salt, crush it until the juice is released. Having achieved this effect, put the lamb and onion in one bowl. Then mix coriander, red bell pepper, dried basil and thyme, about a teaspoon of each seasoning. In the absence of some seasonings, they can be excluded or replaced to taste. We put this mixture in the marinade. Then we peel 3 cloves of garlic and press them on the meat. You can just finely chop. At the end, you need to add 2 tablespoons of butter or sunflower oil, a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice and about half a glass of pomegranate juice to the meat. Mix everything thoroughly so that each piece of meat is well marinated. We leave the kebab in the refrigerator or any other cool place for 5-7 hours. Since the salt has already got into the meat along with the onions, it is not recommended to additionally salt the kebab. You need to fry such a barbecue for no more than 12-15 minutes, otherwise, due to its size, it will turn out to be too dry. The dish is served to the table still hot and, as a rule, decorated with greens.

Lamb is tender, tasty and environmentally friendly meat. The latter is due to the fact that the process of growing sheep of meat breeds does not involve the use of hormones, antibiotics and weight gain accelerators. The composition of the meat is very rich in proteins, all the vitamins necessary for the human body and a large number of micro and macro elements. However, in order for the lamb meat dish to turn out soft and juicy, you need to learn how to cook it correctly.

Why do you need to do this?

One of the most common methods of cooking lamb meat is marinating it. This procedure allows you to give the product a unique aroma of spices and makes the meat fibers more juicy and soft. Marinating is not a prerequisite for cooking lamb, and whether or not to use it depends on the cooking recipe and the personal taste preferences of the cook. However, there are a number of national dishes in which marinating is indispensable. These dishes include barbecue and smoked lamb.

Mandatory pickling is due to the fact that in both cases the meat will be cooked on coals without the use of water. Therefore, in order to prevent the rapid evaporation of natural moisture from the meat fibers and their drying out, lamb is pre-fed with a large amount of tasty and aromatic marinade. For the same reason, it is recommended to marinate lamb before baking. In this case, the meat is also cooked without the use of water, and there is always a risk of overdrying it.

Therefore, in order for the lamb to remain soft and juicy, for such cases it is always advisable to marinate it.

How to choose lamb?

The quality of lamb has a great influence on the final taste of the cooked dish, so the choice of meat must be given special attention. First of all, you should focus on its color. So, in a young, recently slaughtered ram, meat fibers have a bright red color, which, depending on belonging to one or another part of the carcass, can change from lighter to darker. But in any case, the pulp should be homogeneous, without brown inclusions and an unpleasant repulsive odor. Fresh meat usually has a light, specific aroma that is unique to lamb and does not cause discomfort.

The best option for preparing various dishes is considered to be fresh, unfrozen meat of a one-year-old ram. Such lamb exudes the aroma of fresh milk and is distinguished by absolutely white fat. If the fat has already acquired a yellowish tint, then most likely the slaughtered animal was older than one year old, respectively, and its meat will be a little tougher than that of a young one. Next, you need to check the lamb for freshness. To do this, press your finger on the pulp until a shallow hole forms. If the meat is really fresh and has never been frozen, then the recess will quickly level out. In the case of repeated freezing, blood will appear at the place of indentation, so you should not buy such meat.

After the appearance of the slaughtered ram has been evaluated, you need to decide on the part of the carcass that you need to buy. For different dishes, this will be your own option: for example, for cooking barbecue or kebab, you should purchase the back of the carcass, better known as the ham. If it is supposed to fry meat, then it is better to choose a loin on the bone, also known as the rib part. And, finally, for roasting on coals, it is recommended to buy the most tender and delicious part of the carcass - the lumbar region, which is determined by the boundaries of the last costal bone and the sacrum. For lovers of offal, mutton tongue is suitable, which belongs to gourmet products and is fried on coals.

Getting rid of bad odor

If it was not possible to purchase fresh meat, and the acquired lamb has an unpleasant odor, then before proceeding with the pickling of the product, you need to get rid of the smell. In order to eliminate it, you should thoroughly rub the meat piece with dry mustard, wrap it in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator for 3 hours. After the specified time, the meat is removed from the refrigerator, washed under running water and blotted with a soft cloth. Well removes the smell of soaking lamb in milk or beer. To do this, the meat pieces are placed in a deep container, filled to the top with one of the indicated drinks and put in the refrigerator for several hours. Then the meat is taken out, washed well and rubbed with chopped garlic.

Soaking the meat in a saline solution, prepared at the rate of 2 tablespoons of table salt per 1 liter of water, also helps. Lamb is also placed in a saucepan and poured with the prepared solution for an hour. Instead of salt water, you can use curdled milk. Only under such a "sauce" lamb should stand for two hours. To better neutralize the unpleasant odor, up to 100 g of chopped garlic is added to yogurt. And finally, the easiest way to get rid of an unpleasant odor is to remove all the fat that is in the meat.

Marinating rules

After the unpleasant smell is over, you can proceed directly to pickling. To properly and quickly marinate lamb, it must be properly prepared. To do this, the meat is wiped with napkins or paper towels, cleaned of tendons, and films and excess fat are also removed. Then it is cut into large pieces so that the cuts are across the fibers. Further, lamb is poured with cooked marinade and aged depending on the recipe and quality of meat. So, the meat of a young lamb will be enough for 1-4 hours, while for old lamb it will take from 8 to 12 hours. Any spices can be used to prepare the marinade, but the use of rosemary, oregano, thyme, paprika and fresh garlic will most expressively emphasize the taste and aroma of lamb.

An important condition for the proper marination of meat is the choice of dishes. A typical marinade contains ingredients that contain an acid and are designed to prevent the protein from folding during heat treatment. And since it is the state of the protein that affects the softness of the meat, the use of acid to prepare the marinade is simply necessary. However, acid can cause the formation of harmful substances in contact with aluminum cookware. Therefore, only enameled, ceramic or glass containers should be used for marinating meat.

Another important condition for the proper marination of lamb is the time to add salt. It is recommended to salt the marinade only 30 minutes before the end of the marinade, and in no case earlier. If salt was added at the very beginning of the preparation of the marinade, then as a result the barbecue or any other dish will turn out dry. This is due to the ability of salt to draw a lot of liquid out of the meat, and given the “dry” way of cooking many dishes, this is completely unacceptable.

In addition to acidic products, lamb marinade includes many different spices, so gloves should be worn to avoid dark spots on the skin of the hands during the marinating process. Greens used as seasonings should be torn with your hands, which is due to the fact that when cutting with a knife, many of the necessary oils oxidize when in contact with metal and do not get into the marinade.

The size of the pieces should not be too small. Pieces of 4-5 cm are considered optimal for pickling. This size allows you to maintain the natural juiciness of the meat and contributes to the uniform pickling of each piece. After the lamb is marinated, it must be cooked immediately. Otherwise, the meat may lose the desired consistency and become less juicy.

marinade recipes

Each type of meat requires the use of a special marinade. Often recipes for pickling pork and beef are absolutely not suitable for lamb. Therefore, for its preparation, it is recommended to use recipes that are suitable specifically for this meat.

Traditional marinade. To prepare this simple and popular composition, you will need 2 medium onions, half a kilogram of lamb, one and a half glasses of medium carbonated water, two tablespoons of lemon juice, as well as a little salt and spicy spices. First, the onion is cut into half rings, then lemon juice is added to it and mixed well. Next, cut the meat into medium pieces, place in a deep saucepan and spread the onion-lemon mixture on top. After that, other spices are added, the meat is poured with soda and left for a period of 3 to 5 hours. Half an hour before the end of the specified time, the marinade is salted to taste, and after the full marinating time has passed, the meat is taken out and sent for cooking.

Kiwi marinade. To prepare such a marinade, you will need 0.5 kg of meat, two onions, one liter of highly carbonated mineral water and spices. Kiwi is taken at the rate of 1 pc. per 1 kg of meat. First, peel, cut the onion in half rings and put it in a saucepan. Then put the meat on top, add spices, knead the kiwi and put it on top. Next, mineral water is poured in such a way that the meat is completely covered, and left for three hours. Half an hour before the end of pickling, the marinade is salted.

Marinade on kefir. To marinate meat with kefir, you will need 1 liter of this drink per 1 kg of meat, a bunch of fresh herbs, salt and spicy spices. First, the greens are torn into small pieces and kefir is added to it, then lamb is placed in a cup, poured over with the resulting mass and left for three hours. Salt the marinade should be 30 minutes before the meat is ready.

Mustard marinade. To prepare it, you will need 2 onions, half a kilogram of lamb meat, 3 tablespoons of mustard, the same amount of cream, dry white wine, salt and spices, as well as 50 g of olive (vegetable) oil. First, the onion is peeled and cut into rings, then they begin to fry it in butter or vegetable oil, and at this time 350 ml of white wine is poured. After the wine has evaporated by 1/3, cream with mustard is added to the pan, mixed well and peppered. Then the resulting mixture is stewed over low heat for 5 minutes, cooled and poured into a saucepan filled with meat. After two hours, the meat will be completely ready for cooking on charcoal or baking in the oven.

Marinade in soy sauce. To prepare it, you will need 100 ml of soy sauce, half a kilogram of lamb, one quarter of a chili pepper, two cloves of garlic, 20 g of fresh herbs, 1 teaspoon of sugar and two tablespoons of lemon juice. First, garlic is passed through a garlic maker, finely chopped chili, soy sauce and lemon juice are poured into them, greens and sugar are added. Then the meat pieces are placed in the marinade and left for three hours. Half an hour before the end of marinating, the meat is salted to taste.

Marinade on pomegranate juice. For cooking, you will need 1 kilogram of meat, a glass of natural juice, three cloves of garlic, 5 g of ground black pepper and three tablespoons of olive oil. All ingredients are mixed in a saucepan, lamb is placed there and left for two to six hours. This marinade is considered the most productive. Pomegranate acid does not kill meat fibers and gives lamb a rich noble taste.

Marinade for caret. It is necessary to prepare the following ingredients: 1 kilogram of lamb ribs, a glass of olive oil, 1 onion, 5 cloves of garlic, bay leaf, three sprigs of rosemary and a mixture of peppers. All components are mixed in a deep container, the ribs are placed there and left for 30 minutes.

The taste and aroma of future dishes depend on the competent choice of meat and the correct preparation of the marinade, so the marinating procedure requires special attention and strict adherence to recipes.

The recipe for the most delicious lamb skewers, see the video below.

Lamb loin, ribs, neck, shoulder blade and ham are perfect for barbecue. Many also use fat tail, stringing it between pieces of meat. It is believed that fat makes the barbecue juicier.

It is best to cook from young lamb. Skewers from old meat will turn out tough and may have a specific smell that not everyone will like. When choosing, focus on color: the darker the flesh, the animal was older there.

In addition, the meat should not be sticky or covered in mucus or blood, and the pressure pit should flatten quickly without leaving an indentation.

Clean the lamb from films and tendons. The pulp should be cut into identical cubes with sides of about 4 cm. If you take parts with bones, such as ribs, leave the meat on them.

YouTube channel "Recipes Evgeny Leshchenko"

How to marinate lamb

It is enough to hold young meat in the marinade for 2-4 hours. If the lamb is old, it is better to leave it all night or all day. In this case, move to a cool place.

All ingredients are designed for 3 kg of meat.

1. Onion marinade

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Minimum ingredients and amazing results.

Ingredients

1-2 kg of onions;
salt - to taste;

Cooking

Cut the onion into thin half rings. The more onions, the more flavorful the barbecue will be. Add the vegetable and spices to the meat and remember well with your hands.

2. Spicy marinade with onion juice

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Unlike the previous recipe, this one uses only juice from the onion. Together with herbs and spices, it will make the meat very fragrant and juicy.

Ingredients

Salt - to taste;
1½ kg of onions;
ground black pepper - to taste;
4 teaspoons of cumin;
4 teaspoons of oregano;
2 teaspoons of coriander;
2 sprigs of rosemary;
5 sprigs of thyme.

Cooking

Ingredients

1½ kg of onions;
1½ heads of garlic;
2-3 tomatoes;
salt - to taste;
ground black pepper - to taste.

Cooking

Cut the onion into thin half rings, add to the meat and remember with your hands. Chop the garlic and divide the tomatoes into large sticks. Put vegetables, seasoning, salt, pepper to the lamb and mix.

5. Tomato marinade with herbs

Ingredients

1 bunch of parsley;
½ bunch of basil;
salt - to taste;
seasoning for barbecue - to taste;
70 ml of vegetable oil;
1 kg of onions;
600 ml of tomato juice.

Cooking

Grind the greens, add salt, seasoning, oil and stir. Cut the onion into thin half rings, salt and remember with your hands. Add onion, herbs, tomato juice to the meat and mix thoroughly.

Thread the meat onto skewers or place on a wire rack. Place the pieces not too close to each other so that they can fry on all sides.

When the coals are covered with white ash, put the meat on. Turn the meat every 2-3 minutes.

You-Tube-channel alkofan1984

Lamb shish kebab is cooked for 15-20 minutes. Cut the meat with a knife to check for doneness. Clear juice will come out of the roasted meat. If the liquid is reddish, you need to hold the kebab over the coals longer.