Soviet marinade for pork shish kebab based on vinegar, a recipe proven over decades
Currently, there are many recipes for marinating shish kebab. To add a piquant taste and soften portioned pieces, the meat is soaked in mayonnaise, mineral water, tomato juice, mustard, soy sauce, fermented milk drinks, grape wine, ketchup, etc., seasoning the product with pepper, paprika, fenugreek, marjoram, curry, coriander and other aromatic spices and herbs.
But during the Soviet Union, a minimum of ingredients were used to marinate pork, threaded on metal skewers, for subsequent frying over hot coals. The set of ingredients for the marinade used in Soviet restaurants, delis and cafeterias looked like this: ordinary table vinegar, ground pepper (black, allspice) and onions. It is this pork kebab recipe that I want to offer you today.
From many years of personal experience, I know that the key to a tasty and tender kebab, the pieces of which are literally oozing with juice and fat, is the right choice of meat.On the advice of experienced Georgian chefs, I usually buy fresh pork neck tenderloin at the market. When fried, the thinnest layers of fat in the neck make the pieces of meat unusually juicy, while softening the transverse fibers.
Another secret to preparing delicious kebab is a large amount of onions. For every kilogram of meat you need to take about half a kilogram of peeled medium-sized onion heads. For pickling, in this case, spicy onion juice is used, the taste of which is enhanced by the presence of salt, pepper and white vinegar.
Ingredients:
- pork neck tenderloin – 2 kg;
- onions – 1 kg;
- bay leaf – 2 pcs. (optional);
- table vinegar (9%) – 5 tbsp. l.;
- black pepper or a mixture of freshly ground peppers - to taste;
- table salt – 2-2.5 tsp. (no slide).
Preparation:
1. Cut the pre-peeled onion into half rings.
2. Cut the meat into medium-sized portions.
3. Knead the onion in your hands until a large amount of juice is released and place the bottom of the pan in a 1-2 cm layer.
4. Sprinkle the onion with half the volume of vinegar, add salt and pepper, grinding the peppercorns in a hand mill.
5. Lay out a layer of meat, pressing the pieces tightly, add salt and pepper.
6. The next layer is onion. There is no need to add salt or pepper to it. Do not forget to thoroughly knead the turnip half rings in the onions, trying to squeeze out as much juice as possible.
7. Alternate layers so that the last one is from the onion.
8. Salt and pepper the top onions, and then sprinkle them with the remaining amount of vinegar.
9. Press the kebab laid out like a “sandwich” tightly with your palms and place it under pressure in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.The optimal time for marinating shish kebab in an onion-vinegar mixture is 12 hours (it’s easiest to prepare pork for frying in the evening).
10. An hour before preparing the kebab, thoroughly mix the layers of meat and onion.
11. After the wood has burned through, skewer the meat, removing the remaining onion and bay leaf.
12. Fry the meat over coals until cooked (medium heat), turning the skewers every 3 minutes.
13. When grilling kebabs, it is better not to leave the grill. Any flames that appear must be immediately extinguished with water, and the meat must be turned over so as not to dry out.
14. If desired, separately fry the remaining onions from the marinade in a frying pan in hot vegetable oil.
Serving
Shish kebab, aged in vinegar and onion juice, goes perfectly with tomato sauce (Krasnodarsky, Shashlychny, Spicy Chili) or homemade adjika. Potato dishes, as well as sliced rye bread (“Borodinsky brick”) or still hot pieces of thick Armenian lavash are the best side dish for fried meat.
Sliced vegetables and leafy greens are always popular with barbecue. In the winter season, seasonal cold appetizers are served with the products: sauerkraut, pickled and salted gherkins, tomatoes, mushrooms, as well as vegetables cooked in Korean (carrots, eggplants, garlic arrows, beans, celery, asparagus, cauliflower, etc. ).
As for drinks, my family prefers to drink sweet and sour fruit and vegetable juices or fresh juices from citrus fruits, cranberry juice, and salty mineral waters. For those who like alcohol, table red and dry white wines with notes of strawberries, for example, Cabernet, Sauvignon and Tsinandali, are usually served with barbecue.
Enjoy your meal in nature!
