Probably no picnic is complete without a mouth-watering dishes "smoky", cooked on the grill or barbecue. Ironically, the most complicated dish for cooking on a spit is considered not barbecue and kebab. Few people manage to fry kebabs the first time so that they are received, as expected, - juicy, tender, maintain the correct shape.

A large family

Translated from the Persian "kebab" simply means "grilled meat". Species such a lot of meat: it's shish kebab (shashlik usual, familiar to all), and dyuner kebabs, known to many as shawarma and tandoor kebab - meat, baked in the tandoor, and, of course, kebab. The latter is a cutlet Cutlets: a variety of national cuisines   of minced meat, which are roasted on skewers over hot coals.

Dishes from the family kebabs are common in all countries of the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucasus and even in the Balkans, where the culinary traditions were influenced by Turkey. Names of dishes may sound a little different, the formulation can also vary slightly, but in general all the kebabs, regardless of origin similar. It is believed that all of these dishes were invented by Turkish soldiers, who on halts roasted over the coals meat, impaling it on their sharp swords.

It is known that in the Muslim world, pork is considered "unclean" meat and food is not used. Beef in most Muslim countries also eat not very willingly. The main meat is considered mutton and lamb, respectively, and the many kebabs prepared because of this raw material. Only in the Balkans, there are exceptions: the Serbian and Bulgarian kebabcheta chevapchichi traditionally made from pork or from a mixture of beef and pork. This is not least due to the fact that during the Turkish rule of eating pork was one of the ways to demonstrate their independence.

And yet, when they talk about this kebab, it meant lamb sausage. Balkan kebabs of pork or poultry, fish kebabs Iranian, Indian rishmi kebab of chicken - a regional variety of original dishes, prepared with minced lamb.

Mutton for making sausages is desirable to use the most recent. I wonder what is considered to be the best lamb in black What colors combined with black: less darkness and pathos . This is attributed to the fact that black wool "attracts" the sun's rays, which means that the meat of these lambs also "impregnated" the light of the sun. However, this legend is hardly relevant for those who buy meat at the store or on the market. The main thing - to see to it that the meat was fresh, not been subjected to freezing.

The secrets of taste

The basis for the kebab is minced lamb. The meat must add chopped onions - per kilogram of lamb approximately four grams of onion. Onion stuffing gives richness, but an excess can lead to the fact that the stuffing will be too thin, and in the preparation of kebabs lose shape. Sometimes the meat is placed well and finely chopped greens - usually cilantro or basil. Excessive use of herbs is not: it could give the dish a completely inappropriate bitter taste. As the table kebab will still be supplied with fresh herbs, add minced herbs it is not necessary.

No bread, no rice, no potatoes or any other starchy foods do not put in the stuffing. We'll have to do without eggs, without adding that many do not realize dish of minced meat Dish of minced meat . Normally, put the egg to the product does not fall apart and keeps its shape during cooking. But when cooking kebab viscosity minced achieve in other ways.

First you need to properly prepare the stuffing. It is best not to use this grinder, which crushes the meat fibers, which ultimately results in the loss of juice and usual knife. Mutton is cleaned of excess fat and films, cut into thick layers in half to two centimeters, and a knife cut into thin slices, first lengthwise, then crosswise fibers. This should continue until such time until all the meat is transformed into a fine mince.

Besides lamb minced mutton fat is added necessarily desirable - fat of tail. His mince should be pretty much - 20-25%. Fat can also grind in a blender or food processor. It is necessary for juicy kebabs, besides fat also can increase the viscosity of the meat.

Do not just kneading

Just mix the meat with onions is not enough: it is necessary to interfere with it long before I became a completely homogeneous mass. After that, the stuffing beat out even further, with the force of throwing it in a bowl with a small height. During these manipulations is changing the structure of the meat, the stuffing becomes uniform and dense, losing excess moisture.

Knocking stuffing should last at least ten minutes. You can pre-wrapped meat in a plastic bag, then the pieces of meat will not scatter all over the kitchen. After the mass becomes thick and viscous, in minced meat add salt, pepper, garlic and herbs. The mixture is spread on a cloth and placed in the refrigerator at least half an hour.

The next step - roasting, or rather, kebab roasting over the coals. Soaked in warm water hands need to form oblong patties, which are placed on skewers. After that, the future kebab needs to be slightly obmyat that they pressed tightly to the skewers.

Heat over the coals should be strong on the surface kebab appetizing crust was formed immediately. For crust is formed uniformly, it is necessary to constantly turn the skewers.

Submission

To the table kebab served hot. To be sure the dish is served pita bread and fresh herbs. Suitable as a garnish and fresh vegetables. Spicy tomato-based sauces give kebab spicy touch.

Strict rules, how to eat kebab, do not exist. Some sausages wrapped in pita bread, you do not lose a drop of fragrant meat juice, while others have traditionally wielded fork. In any case, there are burgers recommended immediately until they have cooled down - in such a kebab particular taste and aroma.

Maria Bykov

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