Ingredients
Meat
- 1.5 kgmutton or lamb shoulder, in 4 cm cubes
- 300 glamb fat, kurdyuk, from the fat tail, in 2 cm pieces
Marinade
- 4onions, sliced into rings
- 100 mlwhite vinegar diluted with 200 ml water
- 2 tbspsalt
- 1 tbspcoarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbspground cumin
- 2bay leaves
Optional
- 200 mlsparkling mineral water
- 1 tspground coriander
To serve
- raw onion rings soaked in vinegar and sprinkled with sumac
- lepyoshka or non bread
- fresh herbs
- ketchup or a tomato sauce, which is how it is sold
Equipment
- flat metal skewers
- a mangal, the trough-shaped grill
Directions
- Cut the meat into even 4 cm cubes, keeping some fat on each piece. Cut them evenly, because uneven cubes mean some pieces are dry while others are still raw.
- Slice the onions thickly and salt them, then squeeze and crush them hard with your hands until they release their juice.
- Mix the meat with the crushed onion, diluted vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin and bay. The vinegar must be diluted. Work it all through with your hands, then press it down and cover it.
- Marinate for at least 6 hours and preferably overnight, refrigerated. Grill over glowing embers with no flame at all. Thread the meat onto flat metal skewers, alternating three or four pieces of meat with a piece of fat.
- Put a piece of fat at the top of each skewer so it melts down over everything below it. Now lay the skewers across the mangal and turn them every minute or two.
- Turn them constantly. Shashlyk is cooked fast and close to the coals, and it needs watching rather than leaving.
- Serve it with raw onion rings that have been soaked briefly in vinegar and dusted with sumac. Serve bread underneath to catch the juices and plenty of fresh herbs alongside.
Technique
- Fat-tail sheep fat is sold in Central Asian and Turkish butchers and is worth seeking out.
- Sparkling mineral water in the marinade is a common Soviet-era addition said to tenderise.
- Beef and chicken versions are sold everywhere but mutton is the standard.
Substitutions
- Lamb belly fat if kurdyuk is unavailable.
- Lemon juice in place of vinegar, which is milder.
Variations
- Made with liver wrapped in caul fat.
- Made with beef or chicken.
- With a kefir marinade, which is common further north.
History
Grilled at every bazaar, roadside stop and lakeside resort, counted and sold by the skewer.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shashlyk?
Shashlyk is a street food from Kyrgyzstan: skewers of mutton and fat grilled over coals with onion and vinegar. Grilled at every bazaar, roadside stop and lakeside resort, counted and sold by the skewer.
How long does Shashlyk take to make?
Shashlyk takes 30 min plus 6 hr marinating of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Shashlyk?
Yes, within limits. Lamb belly fat if kurdyuk is unavailable. Lemon juice in place of vinegar, which is milder.
What is the most important thing to get right in Shashlyk?
Mix the meat with the crushed onion, diluted vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin and bay. The vinegar must be diluted. Work it all through with your hands, then press it down and cover it.
