Undoubtedly, the most favorite dish on vacation is kebab. Not a single trip out of town - to the country, to the forest, to a picnic - is complete without a tasty, fragrant kebab.

Kebab - an extraordinary dish! It would seem that it can be easier, cut the meat into pieces, strung on skewers and cooked over the coals. However, not all so simple!

In order for the kebab to be juicy and tasty, the first thing to do is choose the right meat. Meat should be fresh and not very fat.

Traditionally suitable for kebabs

• pork - neck, ham. She ranks first.
• lamb - ham, back (loin), loin (saddle).
• beef for shish kebab is practically not used, veal - tenderloin will do.
• chicken - fillet, thigh, legs, wings.
• recently, the kebab made of red fish (salmon, trout) has become popular, but such kebabs are more often cooked on the grill than on the coals.

The second component for the kebab - marinade. The marinade recipes for kebabs are a great many, published on the pages of my site.

And, of course, the third main component for getting a tasty dish - the cooking process itself - is frying. This is a whole art, because if at this stage something goes wrong, the previous efforts will be in vain.

Cooking rules

1. It is necessary to cut the meat into even pieces - not too large so that they can fry inside and not burned outside, and not too small so that the meat does not turn out dry. If the sliced ​​pieces still turned out to be different in size, then the large pieces should be closer to the center of the skewer, and small ones should be closer along the edges. String meat on skewers need along the fibers closer to each other.
2. During frying, you need to turn the kebabs to roast the meat evenly. Ensure that there is enough heat from the coals.
3. To keep the kebabs dry, from time to time sprinkle them with water, acidified with vinegar or dry wine. Care must be taken that the flames do not burn the meat.
4. Readiness kebab is usually determined by sight. If the meat is evenly browned, no blood is released, there is no red meat, then the shish kebab can be removed from the fire.

Skewers are best served with vegetables, herbs and dry red wine. Greens - lettuce, parsley, cilantro, celery, dill and green onions. Vegetables help fight carcinogens and promote better digestion of meat.

Pork among lovers of kebabs is deservedly considered the "most correct meat" for dishes of this kind. It is juicy and fairly soft, so the kebab from it, when properly marinated, is very tender and incredibly tasty. However, a full-fledged pig is 30-40 kg of meat, the quality of which varies considerably depending on the place, breed and sex of the animal.   The part of the carcass from which a particular piece is cut is also important. In short, the topic of what kind of meat is better for pork kebab has a lot of nuances.

Fat content

One of the main characteristics of pork, which should be paid attention to when choosing meat for kebabs, is the degree of fat content. Among those who are interested in dietology, pork is considered to be harmful precisely because of its high fat content. Therefore, many people prefer to choose the pieces more carefully. But in this case it should be noted that absolutely lean meat is not the best option for kebabsWhich in this case will turn out too dry.

It is best to cut a piece of small carcass on the kebab. The meat should be light pink in color with a thin layer of fat. This suggests that the animal was young and went to the slaughter in the most suitable period of life for this. A dark red tint indicates a too old pig.

Part of the carcass

When deciding which meat to buy for pork kebab, you should take into account such a nuance as load - the smaller it is, the more tender and juicy will be the meat. That is why experts give preference to young animals, whose muscle fibers have not yet had time to grow strong and be rude from constant physical effort.

It should be borne in mind, it is distributed unevenly. The maximum load falls on certain parts of the body, while others are practically not involved in movement. First of all, it concerns the upper part of the carcass, the muscles of which perform the least amount of work. therefore the best kebab is obtained from the neck and brisket, cut off from here meat differs in tenderness and juiciness. But the back ham - not the best option. This is the most "working" and, accordingly, physically developed part of the pig.

Also suitable for kebabs and tenderloin - this oblong muscle, located along the ridge. It works only at the earliest stage of development of the animal, and afterwards it is almost always at rest. The only drawback of the tenderloin as a material for kebabs is that there is almost no fat on it. But if there are people in the company who, for some reason, are not recommended for fatty foods, then tenderloin will be an ideal option.

Pig, boar and boar

Today in the markets - and when preparing for a picnic, shopping should be done here - you can find three types of pork in terms of the sex of the animal: a pig, a boar, a boar. Which meat is better for pork kebabs with this characteristic?

Experienced butchers say that the best option is a pig.   Females meat is more tender. However, practice shows that wild boars, which were castrated at a very early age - up to three months, also give very high-quality meat without foreign smell and taste. Therefore, there is not much difference.

But what should be avoided categorically - so buy meat boarthat is, the boar that was used for breeding the herd. This product has a terrible smell. Moreover, it is so resistant that it does not interrupt even the most fragrant spices. Saying something good about the taste of such meat is also impossible.

The main problem here is that disgusting smell is manifested only in the cooking process.   In the market, unscrupulous sellers are happy to cheat inexperienced buyers by selling boars under the wine of a young pig or a castrated hog. In order not to be mistaken, it is enough to conduct one simple experiment - to set fire to a small piece of the offered meat with the help of a lighter. When heated, boar’s meat begins to exude that very specific smell.

Parts of pork carcass, which are usually recommended to use for cooking kebabs, are much more expensive than other pieces. but there is also a renal part that is not inferior to tenderloin, loin and neck   in terms of meat quality, but much less expensive. The meat here is quite tender and tasty and the main problem is that it is not always possible to buy it on the market or in the store.

Nadezhda K.
What part of the pork is best to make kebabs?

Any picnic or rest in the country is always associated with the smell of kebab "with smoke" - juicy, fragrant, soft. But sometimes this dish with barbecue turns hard or dry. Why so, because everything was done as usual? The basis of a good kebab is fresh meat from the “right” pieces of pork. From which? How not to make a mistake when choosing? Answers in the article.

What part of pork is better for kebabs

Experienced "kebabs" are united in the opinion that the neck of pork is the best option. The simple secret lies in a large number of thin layers of fat, and they help to preserve the juiciness and tenderness of the pulp.

Council Sometimes the neck lumps are too fat. In this case, it is recommended to remove excess fat.

Of course, this is not the only part of pork carcass that is suitable for kebabs. "Worthy" barbecue and blade part. Fat is contained there. Only, unlike the neck, it will marinate longer. In addition, in the blade pieces there are many veins that cannot be chewed. Therefore, if there is little time left before a picnic, it is advisable not to buy a scapula.

The resulting hard skewers can pretty spoil the mood of the guests. There are lovers of kebabs and from other parts of the pork. Lenten tenderloin or chop - for those who strictly follow the slim figure. There are practically no layers of fat there, it is a good alternative to fatter pieces.

Council Before dividing the cut into pieces, you should remove the film - it is located on one side. Otherwise, the kebab will be tough.

How to choose fresh meat

1. Freshness. If when you press the meat pulp with your finger, a dent remains, the piece is not fresh.
2. Smell. It should not be strong, barely perceptible. An obvious rotten or sour smell suggests that the product begins to deteriorate.
3. Meat color. The young - the color is pale pink.
4. Fat color. It should not be yellow or gray, only white.

If you need to buy portions of pork for kebabs in the supermarket, you should consider some of the marketing “tricks” of the store. On the packages sometimes change the date, so you should not focus on it. It is advisable to ask to open the package and smell the pulp. Can deceive and the color of the pulp, which in the window appears to be pale pink. The fact is that the windows are illuminated with red lamps, which creates such an effect.

Preparation for cooking kebabs

Meat pieces are purchased, it is time to start preparing for their roasting on the fire or grill. What should be done:

1. Rinse the meat, carefully removing the small bones and cartilage, dirt.
2. If there is a film on the surface, remove it.
3. Remove conductors, if any.
4. Cut into pieces, mix with marinade.

Kebab marinade recipes set. You can use the classic: vinegar, onions and peppers.

Attention! Marinade does not need to be salted, otherwise the meat pieces will lose juiciness.

Increasingly, barbeque "gurus" refuse from vinegar marinade in favor of natural ingredients, such as soy sauce, lemon or kiwi. It all depends on taste preferences. Even without being an experienced cook, you can invent your own marinade recipe for barbecue.

It is only important to understand that the main thing in it is acid, which is contained in the main ingredient. This may be citric acid, lactic in kefir, fruit in kiwi, etc. It is she who makes meat soft. But his “overexposure” in the marinade can spoil the taste, “stretching” all the juice. After frying, on the contrary, it will become tough. So, it is important to observe the "golden" middle. On average, kebabs marinate for 3-4 hours.

The choice of meat pieces for kebabs is a responsible task, but feasible. If you know which pieces of pork are better for kebab, understand the criteria for their choice when buying, the task will be done with brilliance.

How to cook skewers: video

What part of pork is better to take for kebabs

Traditionally, in the spring and summer, kebabs are popular. Noisy gatherings around the campfire, outdoor recreation will leave wonderful memories. And so that these impressions were stronger, it is necessary to cook a very tasty kebab. The recipes of this dish are plenty. There is fish grilled on the fire, lamb, chicken, beef, but pork is the most suitable product.

Initially, you must choose the meat. What part of the pork is better to take for kebabs, not everyone knows. In the food industry there is a special mesh with parts for which the animal carcass is chopped. There are 40 of them. Each piece of pork is used for certain dishes. It depends on the fat content, the number of veins, the structure of the meat.

For the kebab fits more neck (neck). It has a small layer of fat, which in the process of soaking on the coals saturate the dryish pulp.

It is better to buy meat for a shish kebab in advance, since it must still be pickled. When buying, we focus on color, structure and smell. Frozen pieces often found in supermarkets will not work, as the flesh will lose its elasticity and will definitely be dry. The neck should have a light pink color, without blood and blue spots. Finger, you can check the freshness of the product: after pressing the dimple must quickly straighten. Regarding the smell - everything is clear: the gentle, barely noticeable smell of meat.

Having brought the neck home, it is better to hold it a little at room temperature while you are cooking the ingredients for the marinade. By the time it takes about 20 minutes. Recall that the neck must be washed and dried, you can with a towel or napkins.

Then, slightly mashing the meat in your hands, you can start cutting. The shape and size of the pieces are completely individual. Only you can give advice: their parameters should not come out for 4 x 4 - 8 x 8 (cm). They are boundary. Otherwise, the meat will either burn or be raw.

After the chopping procedure, the neck for the kebab is marinated. Ingredients for the impregnation of pork a lot. These can be herbs, vegetables, acids, juices and soda. More often they try to soften meat with tomatoes or pomegranate juice. Apply sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice to saturate the juice. Spices are also selected at will, but traditionally a mixture of peppers, hops-suneli, and tarragon is added to the pork. And where without onions, cut into large rings. Remarkably looks several varieties of onions: white, purple, red. Cooks note that it’s better to salt the kebabs before stringing on the skewer, and the marinade is not worth it, as this will cause the meat fibers to become deeper.

These tips will help to prepare the dish flawlessly.

A successful picnic will only be deliciously delicious. Therefore, the organizer of the event is responsible for considerable responsibility in terms of meat selection, marinating and cooking.

Everyone knows that the meat for cooking kebabs must always be fresh, and in no case ice cream. But what part of the pork carcass to choose, so that the kebab is soft, juicy and tasty? About this and how to properly pickle meat for shish kebab we will describe below.

Which part of the pork is better to make kebabs?

Any kebab expert will definitely answer that for cooking kebabs the best pork meat is pork neck. It is from it that you can get the most tender, juicy and soft kebab cooked on the fire. Meat from this part of pork carcass has a lot of fatty layers, which helps to obtain the perfect result. In addition, the meat fibers of the collar are always softer and softer than, say, in the shoulder or back.

Sometimes it happens that it is not possible to purchase a pork neck for a kebab because of its absence at the right time in the sale. What to do in this case? Really to refuse the planned departure on the nature? Or you can still buy another part of the pork carcass and cook shish kebab from it? In fact, in addition to pork neck for kebabs, you can buy meat from the shoulder section. It also usually contains enough fatty layers. But unlike the neck, the shoulder blade is always more rigid and requires longer preparation. This can be corrected with a more aggressive marinade, which softens meat fibers well. These are spicy mixtures based on kefir, mineral sparkling water, which recommend to marinate meat for a day. For a quick effect, you can use, the pulp of which is added to the meat for a couple of hours before frying the kebab. The juice of this tropical fruit will work wonders and make the meat incredibly soft. But in this case it is not recommended to withstand the preparation of barbecue in such a marinade for more than two hours, otherwise the meat can simply be spoiled.

Some also use pork chop or tenderloin for skewers. Such meat as well as the neck is soft and tender, but its structure after cooking is much drier and to achieve its greater juiciness than the collar will not succeed even the most first-class marinade. However, the kebab from Carbonade also has its fans. Among them are those who respect the more lean, low-fat dishes, because fatty layers in such meat are very rare.

With meat decided and now you know what part of the pork is better to take for kebabs. It remains only to marinate it before frying for a few hours. Next, we offer a variant of the most standard set of spices and spices for pickling kebabs. Note that this marinade is more suitable for the collar, as it is aimed more at imparting taste to the meat, and not at its softening.

What is the best marinated pork kebab?

Ingredients:

Calculation for 3.5 kg of pork neck:

• bulb bulbs of medium size - 5 pcs .;
• sunflower oil without aroma - 85 ml;
• black peppercorns - 17 pcs .;
• coriander peas - 17 pcs .;
• dried basil - 0.5 tsp;
• dried thyme - 1 pinch;
• ground red paprika - 1 tsp;
• bay leaves - 2 pcs .;
• coarse salt - 40 g or to taste.

Cooking

Starting marinating the kebab, rinse the pork neck with cold water, dry it and cut into medium-sized slices (roughly the size of a matchbox). Put the meat in a bowl, add some salt and   mix thoroughly. Now we rub peppercorns and a coriander in a mortar and season with the received crushed weight meat. Add the dried basil and thyme, throw the ground paprika and bay leaves, add the sunflower oil and mix.

At the conclusion of the preparatory stage, clean the onions, cut them into circles, disassemble them into rings, knead them a little with hands and mix with meat.

Marinated pork should be in the refrigerator, but about an hour before frying, it must be obtained and kept at room temperature.