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Fenugreek in barbecue cooking. Chaman: what is it and when is this spice used. Useful properties of seasoning chaman

The real barbecue. Victor Ryan's recipe. updated version

So, in order to start cooking delicious barbecue, you must first choose the right meat. What kind of meat should I buy for barbecue? Someone loves only lamb, others will certainly eat pork, and still others will eat any meat. And the one who does not eat meat at all will still not live up to 150 years. It is a pity for him that he will never know the taste delights of shish kebab! Pork, not very fatty, is excellent for our barbecue. But, only fresh and not frozen. But what part of the pork to take for the best result? I would not risk other parts of the pig meat, so that later I would just be disappointed: take the neck and that's it. But, right away, I’ll make one important correction: it has such a middle that runs along the back, without veins, a rather pink color, which goes along the spine on both sides. Here she is!!!

So, it is not suitable for barbecue! And if she suddenly even gets on your barbecue, and this can always happen, then you will immediately start chewing it like a chicken breast and without much taste pleasure, no matter what seasonings you use for it. This will be our first difference from all barbecues. Pay attention to the color of the meat: if the meat is faded, dried up, then it is not fresh and the barbecue will not work out of it. Like all butchers, I will also assure you that frozen meat loses its main taste properties. Although, what can I say, our brother cannot take something for nothing. It happens that somewhere fresh meat was found, and even with time it does not always work out. Take it, but listen to at least one piece of advice: do not marinate the meat frozen or still cold, let the meat first thaw to room temperature and all the blood water will drain. The conclusion is this: fresh meat, frozen, is better than not fresh, but draw the right conclusion yourself!

First, rinse the meat with running water and dry it with a paper towel. Who knows, how and who pawed it before you, and we absolutely don’t need moisture in the pickle, believe me! And mineral water, I say right away - forget it !!!

If you buy meat at the market early in the morning, marinating according to this recipe on the same day, then in the evening you can safely turn it on the grill!

We have dealt with meat. By the way, the lamb will be even tastier, because when you look at a young lamb, you immediately imagine - barbecue! I had a chance to somehow cook a barbecue for a purely Turkish society, they bought the meat for me themselves. What was my surprise that they snatched pieces of meat almost from their mouths even from their relatives! The lamb was marinated exactly according to this recipe! And the recognition that they did not eat such things even in Turkey speaks for itself. And what can I say, I have been there many times, but I have not seen barbecue there! Kebab - yes, barbecue - no!!!

A very important, interesting point, now look at the photo below: using this method, we cut the neck meat into transverse washers 3-4 cm wide. Next, tearing the meat along the film seams, cut into approximately equal pieces, removing the film and tendons. After a good workout, you can get the same as me, where each shelf of meat comes out with a difference of two to five grams! Strongly do not get carried away with the removal of fat, this will give some juiciness. With low-fat lamb, gourmets recommend putting fat tail fat between the meat. Let's leave this topic for lamb lovers.

Dimensions! Topic for discussion! Many will say, I was in Georgia, and there, such pieces, such skewers! Yes, but believe me, no matter what fire you turn the bull on, it will never be fried in its middle if it is not cut off periodically. Also in our barbecue, there are parameters i.e. the size of the pieces, where it will brown on the outside and fry inside. I am talking about these sizes, and the Georgians take large pieces from skewers and finish them in a cauldron. Also, a kind of dish, called in its own way, but I'm talking about this, a normal barbecue.

Now about the main thing, or rather about what ingredients we put in the meat and the whole secret of my dish. We take from the calculation, let's say, plus or minus 4 kilograms. We will not be meticulous to grams, this will not play a big role. The main mystery for marinating meat is not only what we put there, it is even very important, and I will prove to you in what order it should be!

1. Salt(about 4 tsp). I’ll say right away that everyone has different tastes, I personally don’t add salt to anything on the table, I never even salt eggs or tomatoes. Two chemical compositions: sodium and chlorine, which make up salt, do not give anything good for the body, and the bones will spoil until arthrosis. You can also say that salt is simply necessary, without it it is impossible. But if the kebab is undersalted, they won’t kill you, but it will be very inconvenient, so you need to salt it well and properly. Pay special attention to the teaspoon, they are also different for everyone. And each housewife has her own teaspoon, and who has a palm! Salt, in turn, will give the initial marination of meat. Just cut the radish and sprinkle with salt, and leave the other piece just like that. Which one will play faster? That's it! And whoever says that salt should be poured at the end of the pickle, then let it sprinkle! We will do it our way! Salt and mix well! There is also such a question, they say, salt before use or right on the fire! Well, let's still dip each piece in salt and say that it will be delicious like that! So they eat chips or something else for beer, and we will make barbecue!

2. Bulb onions . You can cook in two ways, so to speak, options: just chop coarsely, or squeeze the juice from the onion. Two medium-sized bulbs are enough. As some write, it seems to me that there will be a lot of onion 1: 1, just cut it correctly so that it gives the juice. For practicality, in the second way, you can pass the onion through a meat grinder, and then squeeze the resulting mass through cheesecloth. This is what I use, very convenient and no need to fiddle with chopped onions in marinated meat. It’s even easier to pass through a juicer, it will be more practical, and even if you have trouble washing the machine, you will see the highest result! Let the juice from the onion cover your meat, you will see how the meat quickly absorbs it.

There are interpretations here: a chopped onion should give juice, because it’s only about it, after all, is it? And if we squeeze it out, then a lot of work has already been done. And this has its advantages! First: juice with salt in a couple of seconds will pave the way for us to our seasonings. Secondly, we do not need so much effort to crush the onion for mixing. Thirdly, and I'm sure this is important for some, when you put meat on skewers, you will not be annoyed by onions that need to be removed from pieces of meat all the time. And when you fry the kebab, the onion will not burn on your kebab. And fourthly, it's just a small economic issue that you need to twist it less, because we will squeeze all the juice out of it! Naive, but so be it! In the first way, you can do it as you did before, but then, salt it, squeeze it well with your hands so that the onion releases juice even before seasoning. And the fifth is that we'll talk about the bow. And lastly, pickled onion pulp is absolutely not needed! Throw it away and – period!!

3. Black pepper , especially I emphasize, LARGELY ground, as in the picture. No "dust" from the pepperbox! Crush the peas with the flat of a knife if you don't have a coarse grinder, and then cut a little with the point. It is possible in a mortar, but not in the dust. When you chew the meat, these grains will give you a pleasant taste sensation. Small, dusty black pepper for soup, but not for barbecue. How many? 20 - 25 peas! Want more, it's for everybody! By the way, black pepper is very useful for the body!!! Do you know vodka with pepper for colds? So, the whole healing reaction is given, first of all, not by vodka, but by black pepper itself! But in our situation, the quantity should not prevail.

Everything should have its own rules. Well, it will be sharp for you, so what? And the barbecue? Now stop: have you heard that a real barbecue is salt, onion and pepper? So, trust me, this is not true. Read to the end, do exactly that, and you will understand that that eccentric was wrong, no matter how fresh his meat was! There are so many useful and necessary spices on the globe, without which our kitchen would be just black and white! This does not mean that now you can pour into the barbecue everything that comes to hand. There are seasonings that you can’t even talk about, for example, turmeric or dill. There are seasonings that are suitable for baking dough, but in no case are they the same as meat. Now I will tell you about these meat seasonings with great pleasure!

4. Coriander. She is - cilantro. I think you are familiar with this name.

Again, the question is how much? I think that also 15-20 peas will be enough. They need to be crushed in a mortar, first lightly fried. And it's easier if you buy already ground. But, in no case, maybe I will repeat myself, overdo it with seasonings - DO NOT! Otherwise, you will not get the real taste of meat. If the coriander is already ground, then a little more than half a teaspoon, or rather, let it be like in the photo. A very specific seasoning, so you can not overdo it. And here is the next herb.

5. Basil. Many grow in the kitchen, mine is in a jar, dry. It is sold not that almost, just in all stores. Used more in soups, salads, sauces. Now let him show us his taste quality in the barbecue.

Take as much as ground coriander. Is it in a teaspoon size ?, maybe a little more! This herb, although it has such a pungent smell, will not have a sharp taste. It is, in fact, of no small importance in pickling. And that they just didn’t talk about him in ancient history! The Greeks generally considered basil to be the king of spices. And what else can be said about him, if there is such reliable information on the Internet? And so that you do not read about it, it is simply necessary in a barbecue.

6. Thyme. He is Thyme. One of the Asian seasonings, from which dried herbs are used. In small quantities, it complements vegetable and meat dishes, as well as various salads.

The use of thyme goes back, again, to ancient Greece, where it symbolized courage. Roman soldiers bathed in thyme-infused water to gain strength, energy, and courage. In the Middle Ages, girls embroidered a sprig of thyme on the scarves of knights for courage. Back to barbecue, how much? Per kilogram - two, three pinches, rubbing lightly with your fingers. And one of the Georgians will say that he will be superfluous in a barbecue?

7. Zira, she is Zra, she is Cumin. In general, I would talk about this seasoning with great pride. The very smell of zira already speaks for itself. Used as a condiment for over 5,000,000 years! It was even found in the Egyptian pyramids. And now, many people don't even know what it is? Do not confuse with cumin or dill. Such things do not go to the barbecue at all. Get used to the mortar, than to take everything ground, it is better to grind it yourself and everything will be fresh. Quantity? A very specific seasoning, a little less than half a tsp will suffice. Zira is very smelly in taste, so be careful in its quantity.

8. Red pepper, paprika. Mexico! Ground, sweet. But, and we use it very widely. You can have a teaspoon without a "slide".

It will give a little desired flavor and a beautiful color when frying. Want to add spice? One clove of crushed garlic, add hot capsicum, but I warn you that the taste of meat can be very overpowered and I think you don’t need it, because you wanted a real kebab, right? Do not forget that this seasoning can also give a bitter taste, so it must also be taken in its own specific size. But there will be no holiday without paprika.

9. Peppermint . And where only it is not used, even in sweets and medicines. This is cold and cooking! But Asians prove that they have been using meat since ancient times. Now we will try it in the barbecue. I personally have already tried it, so in our barbecue we will give her the most necessary use! Look for it in stores, kiosks, buffets, pharmacies, but meat needs this seasoning!

It seems to me that it is simply inappropriate to talk about her tastes and smell. Many women will frown their eyebrows, they say, this negatively affects the reproductive system of men. Nonsense! If it can affect the organ of men, then it must be only a very strong drink or tea. And then, only in the first 30-40 minutes, and in the future there are no consequences and cannot be. If it seems to you that the taste of meat will be minty, then this will not happen on fire either. Even in marinated meat you will not feel it. You will not cook mint compote, but a real barbecue! Half a teaspoon.

10. Bay leaf , does not need a photo. Throw in the morning or a few hours, with stirring, a couple of pieces. Let it even break into small pieces there. When you put meat on skewers, noticing it, just put it aside. It is not necessary to eat it, and in photography, I think, there is no need. But without it, I had such an experience that I just forgot to put it. Or rather, I thought that no one eats it anyway. To be honest, there was something wrong. It's not in vain, after all, it exists on our Earth as a spice!

11. Sunflower oil ! Do not confuse with olive oil, 5-6 tablespoons. You can even, like, cling! Yes, yes, you absolutely heard right, sunflower oil!

Let each piece be oiled with light stirring. Imagine for yourself that you threw meat into a frying pan, without oil. And, no matter how non-stick pan you have, any of your meat will simply start to burn. Why does every housewife, before frying meat, pours oil into a frying pan, and we want, or rather wanted, to fry a barbecue without oil? In no case! This is how it turns out in the pictures of other kebabs, where charred pieces stick out, and you need to chew them, because it’s embarrassing to spit it out, it’s ugly, and it’s just uncomfortable. Referring now to the coals, then to the brazier unusable. Add oil after all added and thoroughly mixed spices, exactly as written and in that order. I ask you to pay special attention to the fact that you need to mix with oil gently and gently. And if we consider that this is a male occupation, I will say this: as if you have not meat in your hands, but a female breast! In no case do not pour a lot of oil, otherwise tomorrow you will have a gag reflex. This has also happened before.

I found this photo on the Internet, it looks like this in the picture, someone unsuccessfully fried meat:

  1. pickled without oil;
  2. too finely chopped onion and not all of it was removed;
  3. this is the meat that goes along the neck pruning, slightly pink in color, does not change its shape after pickling and does not have a real, juicy taste.

How did it get burned? Can this dish be called barbecue?

12. And now, having put everything that is written above into the meat, leave it to marinate until the morning in the pantry, in a cool place, or even in the kitchen on the floor, crushing it with some kind of load. And in the morning, mixing a pleasantly smelling mass, add an equally important and, I would even say, effective product! This - LEMON .

A good-sized lemon will suffice for half. Just be careful, squeeze it out gradually so that the lemon gets everywhere. Mix gently again. If a lemon gets on just clean meat, it will immediately become a “stake”, as after vinegar, so vinegar simply does not go into the barbecue. And in this case, you have it already pickled. Vinegar can be poured over already fried barbecue. This is a matter of taste for everyone!

13. And we will finish our ceremony with a quarter (you can also have a half), natural pomegranate juice , which will add even more elegance, taste and compliments to your barbecue!

And, importantly, it will hide the clue to your recipe even more reliably! Two good friends: meat and pomegranate! Pomegranate in the summer, you are unlikely to find it anywhere, and I advise you to neglect juices from the store. Many tests show that the pomegranate was not even nearby. So, if it is not there, then leave your real experiment until late autumn.

This concludes our marinade. After a few hours, you will know what a real barbecue is! All this is mixed again and left tightly covered in a saucepan, it is clear that not in aluminum. Press down on top again with a suitable plate, approximately in diameter. I advise you to make it out of wood, by the way, I already have one.

Suitable in diameter and so that over time it does not pick up an unnecessary smell, put it in a plastic bag. Not for storage, but when marinating. Put something heavy on top and leave it for another couple of hours.

No need to hide it in the refrigerator, just let it stand in the kitchen. Let all the ingredients do their thing. Although, as I mentioned above, if the meat is fresh, then it will marinate perfectly for the whole day. And when you put it on skewers, enjoying the now real smell that will already come from the meat, you can even lick it, but don’t eat it yet, although now there will be nothing terrible in this meat. One of the proofs for you will be, you may notice that the meat is very easily pierced with skewers.

And this is how fresh, soft, vigorous, marinated meat should look like! It can be immediately distinguished from bad meat. Well, can anyone else imagine that barbecue meat should float in some kind of liquid or should it be fished out of mayonnaise? Forget it like a bad dream! All this is our brother's invention, as an unreliable experience or an attempt to perform a miracle in front of the household!

And who was not much for what, it’s even scary to list. Make one conclusion for yourself: be friends with the butcher, at least find out on what days he slaughters. Exceptional and supreme case, if you do it yourself.

As promised, once again now about the bow. Barbecue without onions is like music without sound! Snack kebab with juicy rings! And not some kind of waste or ponytails, chopped at random. Aesthetic culture and accuracy should be present in the first place! A ring of onion, a piece of dark bread and a kebab! What could be tastier?! Onion rings can be sprinkled with vinegar diluted with water and sprinkled with red or black pepper, as you like! If it is bitter, then rinse it with cold, ice-cold water and throw it on a towel, the water will wash away everything, even the eye-cutting property from the onion, and give it a pleasant sweetness.

Now let's pay attention to the barbecue. It must also meet certain criteria. It is best to have iron, and even more reliable, stainless steel, the thicker its walls, the better.

It will keep the heat better and fry the extreme pieces. And you don’t have to starve yourself by making barbecue on bricks or somewhere on hanging chains. Well, if you accidentally stabbed someone and need to urgently fry, then this will be a special case. My brazier looks like this: length - 60 cm, height 15 (from the grill) and width 25 cm. The main mistake of those who make barbecues: the grill, i.e. bottom, should not have a large number of holes. If you already have a brazier and it has not just a bottom, but a sieve. Put aluminum foil on the bottom, and kindled coals on top. Poke small holes around the edges and you will see how everything will return to normal.

Let only a quarter of the bottom of the brazier be entirely from the grate, and the rest is solid iron with holes along the edges. You will see how the meat will not burn, but simply blush, and fry to the full depth. And most importantly, it will not flare up under the flames of fire, where the meat will immediately take on a smoky black color and lose the taste we all need. Do you want to eat soot? No! I won't and don't want to either! Smoking is a completely different topic and in this case it simply will not be appropriate.

Just look how the kebab is languishing and frying! It is not ready yet, but the juice is dripping from it. And if you fill the meat with mineral water, then you will not see such a miracle. After mineral water, the meat will look wet and not juicy. Looking at the kebab, it seems that there is nothing there, although we put so much stuff there! And when you also remove the first piece, put it in your mouth, here, chewing, you will understand that there is enough of everything and it is soft to the point of madness! And here you will definitely want to take one sip of wine for the fact that everything in life is not so bad! And everything around will suddenly become more saturated, color tones!

This brazier is for a small company or a field trip. At the moment, this portable barbecue is being tested in the photo. Now that everything is behind us, the meat is eaten, I can say with confidence that he did not pass the test 100% and now it has its own mistakes and shortcomings: along the edge of the holeless bottom, along, I made holes, after five centimeters and now Everything is fine! Also, I will not focus on the fact that the meat should be fried in a good heat all the time, turning and, in no case, should not be doused with flames. Let the coals burn well, fan the ashes, and only then do the most beautiful thing in this art - fry the barbecue! Every self-respecting skewers should know this!

As for lamb: be extra careful! If you overcook it, the meat will turn into dry and stale balls. Good, fresh meat cooks quickly, just five to ten minutes is enough. Women especially need to learn one truth. they often confuse juice from fried meat with blood, so they ask for more toast. Although the meat may already be quite ready. Again, for an amateur, if they want, then they can fry them.

And I will open my tradition to everyone. When the coals are hot, I always roast just one stick first. For the success of the event, I will pour a glass of good red wine and appreciate the quality of the future barbecue! I will give the guests a try, albeit not for everyone, teasing them to the limit. And then it went - let's go! I, personally, had cases that close friends, who even had their own recipes, were speechless while eating. And after 5-6 sticks, exhaling, they said that they had never eaten such a barbecue! Now, by the way, they pickle just like that! And all sorts of experiments with the addition of mayonnaise or tomatoes simply do not crown with good success.

Now about skewers. No need to make meter skewers, believe me. Until, eating, you get to the last piece, it will already be cold with you. In pursuit of the second stick (and if you also get a tasty one), you can choke. Secondly, waving a “sword” at the table, saying what a delicious shish kebab, you can gouge out a good friend’s eye! And how wonderful it is to eat barbecue from a skewer when it is still hot. In this case, I use my own, short, total length 37 cm, skewers. My opinion is that the thickness of the skewers should be 2 mm. and a width of 7 mm. Not three or eight, otherwise it will be bad to shoot. And not one and a half, because. the skewer will be too flexible. And 6 mm wide. the meat may twist.

Trust me, I've experimented with it all! If you have only 20 of them, then you have no friends, and you cannot invite someone to visit. Meat should be put on skewers to the last piece. Or you do like this:

-Hey, Sanyok, come on, eat up!!! Free the skewer, I need to fry Kolka!

I have 90-100 of them, they don’t rust, they don’t ask to eat, unless they put meat on them ?! And enough for any company. On nature I take all the meat already put on and only on skewers. In a special container and from all sorts of insects hidden. Let gourmets say that putting meat on skewers in nature is a great pleasure! In my district I am not friends with flies! I put marinated meat on skewers only myself, and only at home. I don’t bother my ladies with this work, if I set to work, then I will bring it to the end. I do not want to offend our dear, fair sex, but the meat should not scroll on skewers or hang down to the very coals. By the way, if you cut it correctly, as I described above, then an inexperienced putter will succeed!

Once again about skewers, with regard to their size, then while eating, it’s better to take another, fresh, hot stick, so I plant 5-6 pieces each. For lovely ladies, one skewer is enough, she would like to try the second one, but with huge skewers she is afraid that she will suddenly fail. And with such dimensions, you can safely regulate the amount of shish kebab eaten. After all, we are not in the Stone Age with a spinning mammoth or in a competition: “Who will eat more!” Although, with a good barbecue, any thought of a diet simply disappears! And, already two or three skewers, your beloved lady can always eat with great pleasure!

One case from life. The day dragged on with all sorts of things, there was a late evening, a sauna and, accordingly, a barbecue. One lady from a kindred circle was already very indignant, like, looking at such a dish at night!? From her youth, she knew the rules of nutrition, looked after her figure, and, by the way, she swallowed three sticks, and even a mug of beer upstairs !!!

The last condition and important: do not put the barbecue from the table at a long distance. Otherwise, you will: either your meat will burn, or you will listen to an interesting story! Always seat guests at the table, let them skip one glass of salads. No walking around the barbecue, everyone must sit at the table! There are always a lot of smart people, let them suck in with their nostrils what you cook there. Your place is only by the fire!!! This is where you start serving them your barbecue! Shashlik should only be eaten hot! Try to time it so that before you run out of meat, fry the next batch. I do not recommend the whole kebab mountain overcooked on the table. The bottom skewers will get cold and not tasty. And if you treat with shish kebab, then let it be only shish kebab. Sip it with something from a snack, such as: pickles, tomatoes, squash. Next: sweet bell pepper, black olives, green! Your onion rings, respectively, dark bread and, of course, good vodka!

There should be no manti or pilaf, casseroles or pies, because you treat only the real SHASHLIK! I don’t know where you will be kissed later for this, but YOU will definitely be the first barbecue in the village!

This is how the first skewers look like, sizzling, roasting and not burned on a hot fire. And the juice, what juice is running, just look! If he drops on the fire, then this drop flares up immediately with fire, and at the bottom of the brazier with the least ventilation, this does not happen. In this picture you see lamb! And, as you can see, all the photos of the kebab fried by me on different days look just the same to me, so you will succeed, I'm sure of it! And here it is the first batch, the people are waiting, everything is poured, just give it!

It looks like meat already fried, surprisingly ruddy and just melting in your mouth. It is this meat that you saw in the third picture from the top. What, exactly, served as a pickle? It is impossible to say, most likely each ingredient contributed to this work. But it was this bouquet of the most famous spices that did its job. I did not use any mayonnaise, no mineral water or liquid, no accelerators or components for softening or breaking meat! All the most natural and real! Therefore, it turned out the real barbecue!

And the fact that the first pancake can always be lumpy, you know that, but you will get the most correct lesson from this! At the next pickling, you yourself will understand if something was done wrong. Everything will work out for you! In this case, if everything was clear to you, there simply cannot be mistakes.

Try my own recipe, which I have been researching for over three years. But what is mine? After all, I did not discover the Moon and all seasonings have long existed on Earth. Maybe you will like this dish too!

PS: as one wise man said that:

“We live in this world not to eat, but we eat to live!!!”

Bon appetit everyone!

Ingredients:

3 kg. pork meat (I have a neck),

2 tbsp. l. seasonings for meat

2, 5 -3 art. l. salt,

2 curly tomatoes,

1 large head of onion.

Good day, my dear readers!

You can also cook very tasty in the oven. So choose and enjoy!

And I promised to tell you about the celebration of May 9 in our family this year. All the same, we went to Novosibirsk for the parade. We managed to see military equipment, combat aircraft and helicopters. Managed to show it to my son. My aunt and uncle participated in the Immortal Regiment campaign. Tens of thousands of people took to the main street of the city to honor the memory and pay tribute to all those who fought for our Motherland. We did not wait for the end of the passage of the Immortal Regiment, Seva began to feel sleepy. So many emotions in half a day!

We also saw such a fighting girlfriend) somehow caught the kids for a photo.

There were fireworks in the evening. Our fighter's schedule got a little off, but he had impressions!! Everyone was very pleased and still remember.

I would like to know your favorite barbecue marinade recipes. Your experience and advice would be very useful to blog readers and to me personally)

Armenian kebab recipe

To prepare a delicious Armenian barbecue you will need:

  • meat (pork, beef, it is better to use lamb);
  • bulb onions;
  • salt;
  • ground black pepper;
  • fenugreek;
  • greenery.

Cooking process

So, let's find out how to cook Armenian barbecue. First you need to choose good meat, which must be fresh so that the taste is on top. The meat must be cut into pieces (the size of the pieces will depend on your brazier), but it is better not to make too huge pieces so that the kebab can fry quickly and remain juicy.

Onion cut into rings and now you can learn how to barbecue. There is nothing complicated and everyone can do it themselves. After the meat and onions are chopped, we proceed to prepare the marinade for the future barbecue at home. I would like to note right away that for this it is necessary to use glassware to prevent changes in taste. You can also marinate meat in ceramic dishes, but if this container is not available, use enameled.

We place the chopped pieces in a glass container, take the onion rings in our hands and knead them with our hands, thereby breaking them and squeezing the juice out of them. Throw the onion into the dish and mix well with your hands.

Then we cut the greens (parsley, green onions) and add them to the meat, before rubbing them in our hands with the necessary amount of salt.

We take ground black pepper and sprinkle the prepared. Do not forget that pepper must be added to taste and proceed to add the most important ingredient - fenugreek. In Armenian, it sounds like a chaman. We add it to the meat no more than a teaspoon, this amount will be enough to make the aroma go crazy.

Once again, mix the meat with all the ingredients with your hands and leave the dishes with the marinade to infuse in the shade for 30-40 minutes. It’s not worth leaving for a long time, and now let’s find out how to fry an Armenian barbecue.

After the meat has been saturated with all the spices, it is necessary to proceed to the most important part of the preparation - fry it on the grill. We put the pieces on skewers, and send them to hot coals. Remember that shish kebab is best grilled not on red coals, but on slightly burnt ones.

The temperature from such coals is excellent, it turns out excellent and, and not burnt or dried out. During frying, do not forget to turn the skewers every 50-60 seconds so that the kebab is fried evenly and juicy.

In order to make the dish especially amazing, during frying, use a cardboard box or an ordinary newspaper, with which you wave it over the grill, this will contribute to better cooking and the smoke from the coals will better soak the meat and make it especially tasty.

We wish you all bon appetit and a pleasant weekend.

2014-05-14

Date: 14 05 2014

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Barbecue marinades are often the subject of controversy at male friendly gatherings. Everyone defends the “correctness” of their favorite barbecue marinade. The only argument is usually the words: "Yes, I've been doing this for a hundred years ... it always turns out delicious." Well, that sounds pretty convincing! Based on “delicious” and today I will tell you about my tested barbecue marinades.

Have you ever wondered “why marinate barbecue”? Do you really need a marinade for barbecue? Consider the common statement: "A marinade is needed to tenderize the kebab meat." There is some truth in this.

The fact is that the marinade, even during many hours of marinating, only slightly penetrates deep into the meat for barbecue - only a few millimeters. Therefore, the marinade cannot soften the connective tissue (collagen) that is inside the cuts of meat. Only the surface softens, but it seems to us that the whole piece of meat becomes softer from pickling - after all, biting into it becomes really a little easier!

If the marinade does not have any significant effect on the softness of the kebab, why is the meat still marinated?

Consider for this the components of marinades:

1. Spices, fresh and dried herbs, wines, garlic, onions give the kebab a certain aroma and taste. They do not affect the softness of the meat!

2. Fats (vegetable oil) are used to dissolve aromatic substances found in spices and herbs. Thus, they mainly serve to ensure that aromatic substances get to the surface and a little bit - deep into the meat for barbecue. Marinade fats will not soften tough meat!

3. Barbecue marinades usually contain acids. They are found in fruit and berry juices (apple, lemon, orange, cranberry, pomegranate), tomato juice, wine, wine and balsamic vinegar, lactic acid products. Acids somewhat destroy the connective tissue on the surface of the meat, by doing this they also facilitate the penetration of aromatic substances a little into the thickness of the meat for barbecue.

4. Salt mainly serves to enhance and improve the taste of meat.

I also want to add that the widespread use of onions in barbecue marinades is due to its excellent compatibility with any meat and fish. In addition, the sugar contained in the onion caramelizes during this time, which gives the meat a beautiful crust.

How to prepare onions in barbecue marinade

In order for the onion to have the desired effect in the marinade, it must release the juice. To do this, you can simply chop the onion thinly, salt and mash with your hands, grate on a coarse grater (or pass through a meat grinder) and squeeze out the juice.

Without belittling the importance of the marinade for the taste and aroma of the barbecue, in conclusion of my “cleverness”, I want to say that the consistency and juiciness of the barbecue to a greater extent depend (in my humble opinion) on the quality of the meat, the ability to cook it and a good barbecue.

To ensure a deeper penetration of the marinade into the thickness of the meat, the marinated kebab is often massaged with the hands several times during exposure. In this case, the pieces are well compressed, released and mixed, repeating the procedure many times.

We will take as a condition that our barbecue is “correct”, the meat is of excellent quality and we know how to cook it well. Therefore, we will focus on what it can be marinated in.

Marinades for barbecue recipes

Sour-milk marinade for barbecue (for any meat and poultry)

Ingredients

We will need:

1 liter of any quality fermented milk drink (natural yogurt, kefir, curdled milk, ayran, matsun, matsoni)

Red hot pepper (fresh)

Most often, I make such a marinade from homemade yogurt.

About the greens for such a marinade. My favorite for lamb skewers is savory, thyme, purple basil, rosemary, a little bit of mint. You can take a mixture, or you can take some separate grass. For chicken - garlic arrows, green basil, cilantro. For pork - basil (purple, green). For shish kebab from offal (kidneys, liver) - marjoram. For fish - dill, thyme. Onions are often added to sour-milk marinades.

Separate conversation - about spices. I prefer to add the bare minimum - just a little black pepper and the occasional ground fenugreek (my personal preference).

Mix the fermented milk product with chopped pepper, herbs, salt. The marinade is ready. I prefer not to finely chop the spicy herbs for marinating the kebab, but put them in sprigs, crushing the leaves with my hands.

Marinade for barbecue from homemade tomato juice (for pork, lamb, beef)

Ingredients

We will need:

Tomatoes

green cilantro

We prepare juice from tomatoes in any way.

For such purposes, it is best to take juicy, rather than fleshy tomatoes. Basically, any is fine. Salt the juice, put the crushed garlic, cilantro, prepared onion.

White wine marinade (for chicken, turkey, fish skewers)

Ingredients

White wine 1 liter

thyme or savory

We mix all the ingredients. You can add onions, a little wine vinegar and ground white pepper to the base.

Marinade from sherry, madeira, marsala (for shish kebab from beef, lamb, game)

Ingredients

Wine 800 ml

Sherry vinegar 200 ml

We mix the products and marinate the barbecue. Sherry vinegar can be replaced with good wine vinegar (3-6%). In the marinade for game (wild boar, roe deer), add a few crushed juniper berries.

Marinade for red wine barbecue (for beef, lamb, game, pork)

Ingredients

Wine 1 liter

purple basil greens

We prepare the marinade from the indicated products. You can add onion, a little bay leaf, black pepper to the base.

Marinade for kebab with lemon juice (for chicken, turkey, fish)

Ingredients

Lemons 2 pieces

Olive oil 200 ml

thyme, green basil

Squeezing juice from lemons

mix with olive or any other high-quality vegetable oil, put greens, salt and marinate the kebab. It is highly desirable to add onions so that the lemon taste is somehow balanced. But again, this is my personal opinion.

Marinade for pomegranate juice barbecue (for lamb, pork)

Ingredients

Grenades 3 pieces

Olive oil 150 ml

Onion 2-3 heads

green cilantro, basil

Squeeze the juice from pomegranate seeds, mix with olive oil, prepared onions, salt, herbs. The marinade is ready.

The barbecue marinade should favorably emphasize the taste and aroma of meat without drowning it out. Knowing why, in principle, you need a marinade, you can experiment with its various components. And what are your favorite barbecue marinades, my dear readers?

I recently remembered a song from my favorite movie. I never thought that ... thunder would break out again over the world and the sky would burst into flames ...

Chaman- a herbaceous plant, a representative of the legume family. This herb is also known under the names of shambhala, fenugurek, fenugreek. Scientists call India, Pakistan the birthplace of the plant. The word "chaman" is also used to denote a spice with a tart taste and a specific smell.

Chaman is an essential ingredient for making basturma.

The plant was well known to the ancient Egyptians. Scientists have found references to the fact that it was used in mummification. In Europe, it was known primarily as a medicinal plant.

Chaman is also called a mixture of spices that are used to prepare basturma and other dishes. The spice got its name from the name of the main ingredient, because chaman in Armenian means “blue fenugreek”.

How to cook chaman for basturma? To prepare this seasoning, add 900 g of ground chaman to warm boiled water and mix. Next, the mixture is left to cool and 900 g of ground pepper (1: 1 chili and paprika), 450 g of crushed garlic, 2 tsp are added. ground black pepper, allspice, as well as cumin. The mixture is thoroughly stirred to the consistency of a paste.

What can replace chaman? If you do not have the most important ingredient, the housewives claim that it can be replaced with suneli hop seasoning, which is sold in any supermarket.

cultivation

Growing a chaman is not that difficult. It belongs to precocious, drought-resistant and cold-resistant plants. The grass grows well on fertile soils, does not tolerate very acidic soils. In order to increase the productivity of the chaman, it is enough to add a little lime to the soil. The plant should be grown in places hidden from the wind, well refreshed by the sun. It propagates with the help of seeds, which are sown in spring directly into the ground. They germinate at a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius, for optimal growth, the temperature should be 20-25 degrees above zero.

After the first shoots have risen, it is necessary to deal with their thinning. Chaman blooms in June, but its fruits ripen in early autumn. The plant needs watering, especially until it sets fruit, then watering can be stopped. A very important place in the cultivation of chaman is the protection of the plant from weeds. When weeds appear, they must be removed, as they will impair the growth and development of the chaman.

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of chaman have long been known to folk medicine. The strong smell of the herb is due to the presence of coumarin. Plant seeds are rich in protein (up to 30%), as well as fatty oil (up to 6%), mucus, vitamin PP, essential oils, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins.

In Indian medicine, chaman is known as a lactation enhancer. In addition, the plant stimulates the digestive system, and also helps the heart. In diabetes, it is taken in order to control blood sugar levels. It is used externally for wounds. Widely used in cosmetology for skin and hair care.

Application in cooking

In cooking, chaman has found application as a seasoning that gives dishes a special aroma and taste. As a spice, both seeds and greens of this plant are used.

Chaman is included in such well-known seasonings as curry, various Indian massals, suneli hops.

Chaman is especially popular in the countries of the East, as well as in India, where it is called Shambhala. Ground chaman resembles coarse flour, with the difference that it is slightly beige in color.

Chaman is considered a classic spice for flavoring different types of cheese, such as green cheese. In Indian cuisine, the mature seeds of the plant are used. In America, it is used to flavor rum. The roasted seeds are used to make a coffee substitute. The aroma of these seeds is sweetish, to many it resembles the smell of burnt sugar. When added to food, chaman adds a nutty flavor and flavor to dishes, so it can easily replace hazelnuts in some recipes. Seeds are recommended to be added in small quantities so as not to spoil the taste of the whole dish.

The most famous dish with chaman is basturma. It is dried meat, beef with spices. This dish is very popular in Armenia, Egypt. Beef tenderloin according to an ancient recipe is cut into 2 pieces, washed. Sea salt is mixed with sugar and the meat is rolled in this mixture on all sides. The meat is left to rest for 5-7 hours. A plate of meat is placed in the refrigerator overnight, and then left for 12 hours. Then the meat should be washed from salt and allowed to dry. When the beef dries, it is covered with a cloth and put under pressure to remove moisture from the tenderloin: this way it will become more elastic. Next, prepare the chaman seasoning and coat the tenderloin on all sides with the resulting mass. After 2-3 hours, the sidebar is smeared again with a sauce prepared on the basis of chaman. After that, the meat is left to hang in the open air for 2 weeks.

Serve ready-made basturma, cutting the meat into thin slices. The serving is usually accompanied by cilantro and/or basil greens.

Chaman is considered a very famous seasoning, which is used alone or mixed with other spices and spices.

It is indispensable in the Eastern culinary tradition, where chaman ("blue fenugreek") is used quite often, especially when preparing the traditional dried meat dish, basturma, which we have already described above.

Chaman not only favorably emphasizes the taste of the dish, but also has many useful properties.

Using this seasoning will help make the dish tasty and healthy.