Marinade for Shashlik – 3 Universal Recipes

Ingredients

Preparation step by step

1. I finely chop the onion and the herbs (½ bunch of dill, parsley and cilantro), then blitz them with an immersion blender to a paste-like consistency – this texture gives up its juices to the meat best. Large pieces of onion stick to the meat and burn on the grill, so a paste is the right choice for a marinade.

2. I warm the black peppercorns (1–2 tsp) and the allspice (3–5 pcs) in a dry pan for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, then grind them to a fine crumb in a mortar – freshly ground spice gives a far more intense aroma than the ready-ground kind.

3. I combine all the ground spices – the peppers, basil, savory and mint – pour in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, add 1–2 tsp of table mustard, 1 tsp of sugar and salt to taste. The sugar balances the salt and brings out the spices, while the mustard works as a natural tenderiser for the meat fibres.

4. I mix the resulting oil-and-spice mixture with the onion-and-herb paste and work it thoroughly until completely smooth – you get a thick green paste with a pronounced spicy aroma. I rub the meat all over with this marinade and leave it in the fridge for 1–4 hours.

Time: 10 min | Servings: 1 (250 ml per 1–1.5 kg of meat) | Calories: 125 kcal per 100 g

Ingredients

• semi-sweet wine (red or white) – 100 ml;
• onion – 50–100 g;
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp;
• table mustard – 1 tsp;
• ground nutmeg – a scant tsp;
• anise – 0.5 tsp;
• ground red pepper – ⅓ tsp;
• salt – 1 pinch;
• sugar – 1 pinch, optional.

Making the wine marinade step by step

1. I peel the onion (50–100 g), chop it finely and pass it through an immersion blender to a paste. I dress the paste with 2 tablespoons of refined oil and 1 tsp of table mustard.

2. I add the aromatic spices to the marinade: ⅔ tsp of ground nutmeg, ½ tsp of anise, ⅓ tsp of ground red pepper. I mix thoroughly and pour in 100 ml of semi-sweet wine – I choose red for pork and lamb, and white for fish and chicken.

3. I season with salt (1 pinch) and, if I like, add 1 pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the wine. I mix it well – the marinade is ready. When finished it has a rich, grapey aroma with spicy notes.

Time: 10 min | Servings: 1 (250 ml per 1.5 kg of meat) | Calories: 110 kcal per 100 g

Ingredients

• tomato juice – 100 ml;
• small onion – 1 pc;
• table mustard – 1 scant tsp;
• refined sunflower oil – 2 tbsp;
• dried or fresh basil – 1–2 pinches;
• turmeric, paprika, anise, ground black pepper – 0.5 tsp of each.

Making the tomato marinade step by step

1. In a deep bowl for marinating the meat, I mix together a paste of 1 onion put through the blender, 1 scant tsp of table mustard and 2 tablespoons of refined sunflower oil – the oil coats the meat and keeps the juices inside during cooking.

2. I add the spices: 1–2 pinches of basil (dried, or fresh and chopped) and ½ tsp each of turmeric, paprika, anise and ground black pepper. I pour in 100 ml of tomato juice, or a purée of 2 fresh tomatoes rubbed through a sieve – the tomato acidity works as a gentle tenderiser for the meat fibres.

3. I mix the marinade well into a smooth red-orange mass with a pronounced spicy aroma. This all-round homemade marinade suits any meat and gives a bright crust on the grill thanks to the sugars in the tomato. It is ideal for pork or chicken shashlik.

Tip 1. Do not cut the meat into pieces that are too small – larger 4–5 cm pieces hold more juice when grilled and the shashlik turns out more tender. Small pieces dry out over the fire.

Tip 2. For convenience, put the cut meat with the marinade into a plastic bag, press out the air and knead it well with your hands – this way the marinade is distributed evenly and your hands and dishes stay clean.

Tip 3. Prepared marinades can be kept in a glass container with a lid in the fridge for up to 3 days – handy for quickly getting meat ready before a picnic. A freshly made marinade works better than a stored one.

Tip 4. Make your own marinades based on fermented dairy products (kefir, plain yoghurt), fruit juices (pomegranate, pineapple – their enzymes make the meat especially tender) and wines. The main thing is to keep the right balance of salt and acid.