SHASHLIK
Shashlik (Шашлык) is a form of shish kebab that originates from the Caucasian Mountain tribes cuisine. It became popular after the conquest of the
It is very important to prepare and cook the Shashlyk just right and the Russians have had many years of practice. Indeed the method of spit-roasting is one of the oldest in Russian cooking history.
You can see shashlik listed on the menu of many Russian restaurants, but it is more common to cook it at the dacha – a one- or two-story summer house in the countryside owned by many Russians to spend summer weekends away from the city. |  |
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This is shashlik we had at our favorite restaurant in my home city. |
Shashlik is usually cooked above hot coals on a grill called “mangal”. The name “shashlik” is derived from the Turkish word for skewer, and the meat is very often served on skewers it was cooked on, accompanied with fresh herbs, lavash (most widespread type of flat bread in Iran, Pakistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia - I mean THAT Georgia, folks, not the one that has Atlanta as a capital :-) ), sour and spicy Georgian plum sauce (read about it in Foods and Drinks) and a glass of dry red wine. Mmm, delicious… |
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Pork is the easiest meat to prepare shashlik with, if you follow these recipes closely it's almost impossible to spoil.
So, here is my family's recipe. Get the right piece of pork: you will need a collar or neck part as it's slightly fatty and doesn't dry out easily when cooked on an open fire.  |
Ingredients: For 1.5 pounds pork: 1 small white onion 1 big red onion 1 small eggplant 1 big red or orange pepper 1 cup vinegar (pure or red wine vinegar, not cider vinegar!) 1 tbs. canola oil
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Method: Peel and cut white onion into 8 wedges. Clean pork, cut into cubes, place into glass bowl, add salt, pepper, onion and vinegar. Make sure all ingredients are well applied. Cover bowl, move to a cold place and allow marinating overnight (ideal) or at least for 3 hours. Cut red onion, pepper and eggplant into pieces of roughfly the same size as pork pieces. Put the vegetables and marinated pork on skewers. |
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Cook shashlik above hot coals on a grill or brazier. You can also cook it on the stove using a frying pan, though the taste will be slightly different. Cook about 25 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces), spinning skewers every couple of minutes. Once done, remove from skewers, place on a plate, garnish with sliced tomatoes, fresh herbs and Tkemali sauce. ************
TKEMALI SAUCE
Ingredients: 24 sour prunes pitted (or Santa Rosa plums) 1 cup cider vinegar 2 tb fresh lemon juice 2 cups water |
1 garlic clove peeled 3 tb cilantro freshly chopped 1/2 ts salt 3/4 ts Red pepper flakes
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Method:
Soak prunes over night in the cider vinegar. Bring water to a boil, add prunes, remove from heat & allow to stand for 10 mins. Bring back to a boil over high heat & cook for 10 min until tender. Put prunes into a sieve over a bowl to drain. Save all liquid. Combine prunes, garlic, and cilantro in a blender. Pour in 1/4 cup of the liquid & blend on high speed. Add remaining liquid slowly until all is used. Transfer blended mixture into a sauce pan & add salt & pepper. Bring to a boil on high. Reduce heat to simmer and add lemon juice. Stir and simmer for 3 min more. Let cool. Serve with fish, poultry, or pork.
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There are many recipes of shashlik, each of them worth trying:
Pork Shashlik in Kefir Marinade
Ingredients: 2 lbs lean pork 5 onions 2 cups kefir (available in Russian stores and whole food stores)
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salt, pepper, paprika 1 tsp sugar 1\2 cup white vinegar |
Method:
Cut meat into 2 inches cubes. Peel onions and cut 3 of them into big pieces. Combine meat, onions and spices in a bowl, pour kefir over it. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Slice remaining onions. In a glass jar combine white vinegar, sugar and onions. Close the jar and shake it well, refrigerate for 25 min. Drain.
Put the meat on skewers and cook above hot coals on a grill or brazier. Serve with flat bread, tomato sauce and marinatd onions.
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Pork Shashlik in Red Wine - Pomegranate Marinade
Ingredients: 3kg (=6.6 lb) pork
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4 onions |
This is quite a big portion of shashlik, it'll serve about 5-6 people.
Method:
Cut pork into 2 inches cubes. Slice onions and combine them with meat in a large saucepan.
Pour in wine, lemon juice and pomegranate juice. Season with herbs, salt and pepper. Knead marinade into the meat and refrigirate overnight or at least for 5 hours. |  |
Thread pork onto skewers and turn them frequently when grilling to cook meat evenly.
Serve with garden salad.
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