Pork shashlik
4 servings
30 minutes
The process of making shashlik seems quite simple: meat, marinade and grill. In reality, this classic dish has many nuances that need to be monitored: from the quality of the meat and the time of marinade to the temperature of the coals and the correct roasting of the meat. Moreover, the latter largely depends on the intuition and experience of the cook
1
Cut the pork into slices about two and a half centimeters thick. It's better to make them thicker to reduce the risk of drying out the meat while frying. Then, cut each slice into four pieces, ensuring the pieces are uniform.
2
Place the sliced meat in a container and salt it thoroughly: start with a teaspoon of salt and add more as needed. You can check the saltiness of the meat by frying a small piece for tasting. Then sprinkle the pork with pepper, paprika, red basil, and savory.
- Pork neck: 1 kg
- Coarse salt: 2 teaspoons
- Ground black pepper: 0.5 tablespoon
- Sweet paprika: 1 tablespoon
- Basil: 1 tablespoon
- Savory: 1 stem
3
Slice the onion into thin half-rings. The main thing is to use white onion, as its taste is brighter than red onion and not as sharp as regular onion. Cut the red onion the same way - it will go into the salad.
- White onion: 1 head
- Red onion: 1 head
4
Add onion to the pork sprinkled with spices and mix everything thoroughly. The meat needs to be kneaded for two to three minutes to blend with the spices and onion and start releasing juice.
- White onion: 1 head
- Red onion: 1 head
5
Cover the meat container with foil and let it marinate at room temperature for at least five to six hours, preferably overnight — then move it to the refrigerator for an hour or two in the morning.
6
When skewering meat, it should be done in a way that minimizes the amount of meat hanging down, as this type of shashlik can burn. It's best to skewer no more than four pieces on one skewer to ensure even cooking.
7
The skewer should be lowered onto the grill (there should be no fire, only coals) and not left unattended until ready: you can miss the moment and over-dry the shashlik. The meat needs to be turned every one and a half minutes. The entire frying process takes about nine minutes.
8
Chop parsley, cilantro, and dill coarsely and mix with red onion. Place lavash on a plate, add shashlik, and top with salad. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve with any shashlik sauce.
- Parsley: 1 bunch
- Coriander: 1 bunch
- Dill: 1 bunch
- Red onion: 1 head
- Armenian lavash: 1 piece
- Pomegranate seeds: 1 tablespoon