Hot summer, evenings in the country, picnics in nature are hard to imagine without barbecue. But you really want it to be really tasty, juicy and melt in your mouth, and not turn into hard rubber. Of course, there are many nuances of cooking, but the main secret concerns precisely the right marinade, which depends on the taste and aroma of the finished dish. Therefore, let’s figure out how to marinate meat on a barbecue so that it is really tasty?
Rules for marinating soft shish kebab
Before moving on to marinade recipes, it is worth talking about a few basic rules for marinating meat. There are not many of them, so it will be easy to remember them:
Salt binds the liquid, so it is better to add it to the marinade last or not at all. You can lightly salt the meat on the grill.
Too much vinegar will also dry out the meat. Therefore, it is recommended to be careful with this ingredient.
The marinade should contain oil, acid and spices. The first component preserves the juiciness of the pork, the second softens the meat, and the third gives the pieces more taste and aroma.
The longer the meat is marinated, the better. Optimal – 12 hours. If there is no time, you can choose quick marinades. However, the minimum aging threshold for pork remains 4 hours.
Onion is the queen of most marinades. It cannot spoil the barbecue, and the active components make the meat as soft as possible. It is recommended to add 500 g of onion per 1 kilogram of barbecue.
If you follow all the tips and use proven marinades, the kebab will turn out to be very soft, tender and juicy.
How to marinate shish kebab with onions?
It is this type of marinade that softens the meat, contributes to the formation of an appetizing golden crust and is considered universal. This is the optimal solution for marinating pork kebabs in mineral water. He will need:
- 1 kg of onions;
- 70 g of sugar;
- 150 ml of vegetable oil;
- 150 ml of table vinegar;
- 1.5 liters of mineral carbonated water;
- 3 bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Classic onion marinade is prepared as follows:
Sugar, pepper, salt, bay leaf and vinegar are added to the chopped meat.
It is necessary to immediately pour mineral water and vegetable oil, stirring after each step.
With such a marinade, the meat should be in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, the maximum marinating time is 12 hours.
How to quickly marinate shish kebab?
If you need to marinate meat quickly, there are several recipes that will come in handy. However, it should not be forgotten that pork must be aged longer than other types of meat. In addition, a lot depends on the quality of raw materials.
The onion-vinegar marinade for barbecue, the recipe for which is given above, is considered the most effective. However, there are two more equally effective and proven recipes.
Wine marinade
Suitable for lamb and pork, but other types of meat can also be used. Ingredients for marinade for 2 kg of product:
- 1 kg of onions;
- 100 ml of vegetable oil;
- one juicy cut lemon;
- 5 cloves of garlic;
- 0.5 l of white dry wine;
- salt, pepper, spices to your taste.
Pieces of shish kebab are rubbed with spices, poured with vegetable oil. Layers are laid: onion cut into rings, garlic and lemon on top, then meat and so on. The last layer is onion. Everything is poured with dry white wine. The marinating time depends on the raw materials, but 2-3 hours will be enough (lamb is better to keep for 5 hours).
Mayonnaise marinade
Easy to prepare and delicious. Before marinating the shish kebab in mayonnaise, it is necessary to cut 3-4 onions into rings and mix well with 0.5 teaspoons of salt until juice is formed. On 1 kilogram of meat, put pieces of salted onion, pour 200 g of mayonnaise with a teaspoon of black pepper and leave for 3-10 hours. It is best to put the shish kebab in the refrigerator overnight so that it is permeated with aromas.
Classic barbecue marinade
This is a simple barbecue marinade that emphasizes the flavor of the meat. In a large cauldron or cast-iron pan, it is necessary to alternately fry the meat and onion rings (about 300 g per 1 kg). Mix, put under a press and put in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours. Salt, black pepper, bay leaf, and mustard are used as spices.
There is another classic recipe without adding vinegar. It requires:
- 0.5 kg of onion;
- 2 kg of meat;
- 2 Art. l lemon juice;
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper;
- salt.
This option will appeal to everyone and is suitable for any raw material.
The simplest barbecue recipe
Wash the meat with water, dry, remove the film and tendons, cut into pieces of the required size. You can use a quick marinade for barbecue. To do this, clean, wash and grate the onion on a fine grater, add it to the meat along with the juice that has been released. Add salt, ground sweet pepper and paprika. Mix well so that each piece is covered with onion base and spices. Let stand for 1 hour. Peel 1 more onion, wash and cut into large, wide slices. Put on the meat and pour vegetable oil, preferably sunflower.
Put in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight. Before starting cooking on the grill, the marinated mass should be removed and left for 1.5-2 hours, it is better not to fry cold pieces of meat. Add 100 ml of water to the rest of the marinade and water the kebab from time to time so that it does not dry out during cooking. String pieces on skewers, alternating them with onion rings. Fry on hot coals for 15-20 minutes.
How do we marinate meat at Steak House?
The main thing when preparing barbecue marinade is to emphasize the natural taste of the meat, make it as tender, soft, juicy, rich as possible. However, even with simple spices, you can create a real masterpiece if you use high-quality raw materials, your own knowledge and follow classic technology. That is why at Steak House we use only salt and pepper, so that you can experience the true taste of perfect meat.
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