All about kebabs: original marinades And proper alcohol for every type of meat. The first May weekend passed by like one wonderful moment, but we know that the best is, of course, yet to come. Ahead of us all is a bright, hot, juicy summer and juicy and smoky aromatic meat cooked on coals!
We love barbecue because the blood of our ancestors flows through us, who, having learned to make fire, happily cooked and ate hot meat roasted over a fire. The barbecue weekend continues and we decided to delve into the essence of the issue, and if we add to this whole meat story fresh vegetables, aromatic greens, crusty bread, amazing sauce and a glass of good red wine, then our life will become even more delicious and even more fun.
The countries of the East - Iraq, Lebanon, and the Caucasus - are considered the birthplace of shish kebab. Don’t try to understand where exactly kebab first appeared - this is a pointless exercise. Today, shish kebab refers to almost any meat cooked over coals. But it is likely that it was thanks to Eastern traditions that this dish turned out so juicy and aromatic, because kebab is not just fried meat, it is a whole ritual with its own rules and prohibitions. By the way, the very word “kebab” in the Russian language turned out to be completely accidental. This is a distorted Crimean Tatar word “shish” - “spit”, “shishlyk” - “something on a spit”.
How to cook shashlik in different countries peace?
In Armenia, shish kebab is called “khorovats”, in Azerbaijan – “kebab”, in Turkey – “shish-kebab”. Kebab is something like a cutlet, with big amount mint. In Georgia, “mtsvadi” is made on dry soil for the most dear guests grapevine. In Russia, such meat was called “twirled” - turned over on a spit. In the West and in America, “turned” dishes have become “turned”; they cook meat on a grill in a roasting pan called a “barbecue.” In some areas of Africa, local aborigines make shish kebab from liver. Pieces of heart, liver, and kidneys are strung on skewers, salted and peppered, and briefly fried over coals. Small pieces of meat on skewers are also common in South-East Asia: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia - called "satay". Small pieces of marinated lamb are prepared in many countries from Afghanistan to Morocco. In French-speaking North Africa they are called "brochettes". Since the countries are deserted, saxaul and boxwood are used on the coals for barbecue. Such coals are very hot and “long-lasting” with aromatic smoke.
Original marinades for barbecue
To make the meat really tasty, you need not only to be able to choose the right piece, but also to choose a secret marinade for yourself that will become business card your kebab.
Grapefruit marinade
This marinade is suitable for any type of meat. It will give the kebab a piquant sourness and tenderness. For 1 kg of your favorite meat you will need the juice of one grapefruit, salt, pepper to taste and 50 g of coarsely chopped cilantro. It is better to keep meat in this marinade for at least 5 hours.
Pomegranate marinade
This marinade will make your kebab very tender and flavorful, no matter what kind of meat you use. You will need salt, pepper, half rings of a large onion, grains and peel of one pomegranate, as well as 500 ml pomegranate juice per 1 kg of meat. You can add just a little coriander. We recommend keeping the meat in the marinade for at least 2 hours and the result will pleasantly surprise you. Even fairly tough lamb, after lying in a pomegranate marinade, will become juicy and amazingly tasty.
Olive oil
High-quality olive oil will make even tough beef kebab as tender as possible, melting in your mouth. It is believed that beef is unsuitable for kebabs, but by using this marinade, you will appreciate the taste of beef kebabs and take a new look at this type of meat. For 1 kg of kebab you will need salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of dry basil, medium-sized onion rings, pieces of sweet pepper, 50 ml olive oil. We recommend keeping the meat in this marinade for 6-7 hours.
Beer marinade
We advise you to buy good beer - not pasteurized bottled beer, but draft, live beer. Beer marinade will turn tough meat into soft, dry into juicy and eliminate unpleasant odors, if they are. That is why lamb is most often marinated in this marinade. You can use it instead of beer homemade kvass. For 1 kg of meat you will need 1.5 liters of beer, salt and pepper to taste. We recommend keeping the meat in a beer or kvass marinade for at least 2 hours.
Ginger marinade
This marinade will make the meat very flavorful and soft. Great for chicken, pork, pork ribs, tender veal. For 1 kg of meat you will need salt, pepper, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 3 grated cloves of garlic, 1 centimeter of grated ginger, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
Kiwi marinade
An original marinade for tender meat. Not suitable for chicken meat, since for short time turns poultry meat into minced meat. Salt and pepper 1 kg of meat, add onion rings and refrigerate for several hours. Half an hour before preparing the kebab, add 2-3 chopped kiwis. Only very tough meat can be kept longer in this marinade.
Mint marinade
An excellent marinade for pork and veal. For 1 kg of meat you will need 5 tablespoons vegetable oil(preferably olive), 2 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper to taste, 50 ml of white wine, 6-10 sprigs of mint. It is better to leave the meat in the mint marinade in the refrigerator overnight. The kebab will turn out juicy and very aromatic, with a barely noticeable mint note.
What is important to consider when preparing barbecue
- It is better to marinate meat in glass or ceramic containers.
- For the marinade, it is better to choose only one product containing acid.
- It is very important to thoroughly mix the meat and marinade with your hands so that your kebab marinates evenly.
- To make the kebab more flavorful, use grated garlic and finely chopped onions and herbs.
- It is better to salt the kebab with coarse sea salt.
- Herbs should be added to the marinade in sprigs; their small particles will quickly burn and spoil the appearance and taste of the meat.
The right alcohol for the right barbecue
Do not forget that shish kebab is a very filling appetizer, so the alcohol served with it is usually strong. However, for some types of kebab there are exceptions, that is, their taste can only be emphasized with light alcoholic drinks.
Chicken kebab:
It is best to serve young sweet white wine with a whole roasted chicken kebab. The wine should not have too strong an aroma so that it feels like the kebab is made from chicken. The wine should not be very strong, but not weak either. Sweet pink wine goes well with chicken kebab, cut into small pieces and soaked in wine. Such kebab will not be as juicy as from a full chicken carcass, which means that in order to give the pieces more juiciness, you will have to wash it down.
Turkey kebab:
A semi-dry red wine with a strong aroma is perfect for this kebab. It will give an original taste to the specific smell of meat. And since kebab is a rather fatty food that causes thirst, the pleasant, sour taste of dry wine will perfectly quench your thirst, and its aroma will add to turkey kebab unique taste. This wine is not very strong, you can drink quite a lot of it.
BBQ Liquor
BBQ sausages require a slightly different approach. The most common alcohol served with barbecue sausages is beer. Depending on what meat the sausages are made of and what spices are included in them, the choice of beer is determined. As a rule, the beer that goes with sausages made from chicken or some other bird is not very strong and, preferably, light, with a slight bitterness. Dark beer with a tart aroma goes best with very fatty barbecue sausages. Its strength is determined depending on how fatty the barbecue sausages are. The fatter they are, the stronger the beer should be. In this case, it is appropriate to have beer with various spices or flavoring additives that can cover up the smell of fat if you or someone in your company does not really like it. Low-fat barbecue sausages are usually served with not very strong light beer with various flavorings and fairly strong aromas.
Lamb kebab:
The taste of a young, whole roasted lamb will benefit from the aroma of fortified red wine. With significant strength and a very strong aroma, such a wine will go well with the specific smell of lamb, favorably emphasizing the juiciness of the kebab and its pleasant taste. Lamb (even young) is very fatty, and its fat is specific, therefore, the stronger the drink served with it, the better. Vodka, although strong, will not go well with such a shish kebab - it does not have the aroma necessary for in this case, but various vodka liqueurs can be excellent. If you are going to make lamb shish kebab in cold weather, then strong drinks - cognac, liqueurs, will come in handy, but in hot weather it is still better to prefer wine, even fortified.
Pork shish kebab:
And here's to the shish kebab from pork meat The ideal alcoholic option, on the contrary, is vodka. Pork, like lamb, is most often fatty. And for barbecue, as a rule, fattier meat is chosen, although there should still be enough fat in it. But in order for the meat to be better absorbed by the body and to make it more pleasant to eat, there is nothing better for such a kebab than a strong alcoholic drink without aromatic additives, since pork meat does not contain a very pronounced specific odor. Therefore, vodka goes better with it than other alcoholic drinks.
Fish kebab:
For fish kebab, the best thing is dry white or semi- dry wine. Although, depending on the fish and how you are going to fry it - whole or in pieces, as well as in what marinade it is marinated, there may be options. For example, if you marinated fish with additives that give a sour taste and strong aroma, the most acceptable alcoholic drink in this case would be semi-sweet rose wine without a pronounced aroma.
Beef shish kebab:
A strong, well-aged, well-aged red wine with a pleasant tart taste and a strong aroma that will give it additional taste qualities. This is necessary because charcoal-grilled beef does not have a strong enough flavor and, even if it is soaked with a lot of spices, it will not have the same taste as kebabs made from other types of meat.
We wish you a pleasant holiday, excellent barbecue, easy Mondays and please do not abuse alcohol!
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Lula kebab, grill, barbecue or just shish kebab - have best dish There are many names for summer picnics. They say that as many people there are as many opinions. It’s the same with cooking barbecue. The recipe depends entirely on the cook and his taste preferences. The composition of the marinade and spices change, but the main thing remains unchanged - fried meat with a smoky aroma.
Chef Konstantin Ershov believes that the right recipe kebab is rooted in the history of the Caucasus. There, a very important ingredient in the marinade is cilantro, as it promotes protein absorption and helps the body digest.
The ideal kebab is always made from a young lamb, up to one and a half years old and weighing up to 12 kilograms. It must be a male. The killed lamb was immediately skinned and cut into small pieces weighing 20-30 grams. The marinade was prepared very simply - from salt, fresh tomatoes and herbs, - Konstantin shares the secrets of his skill.
Today, “adapted versions of kebab” can be made from pork, chicken, beef and even fish. The last recipe is especially approved by nutritionists, because the protein contained in seafood is digested much faster. It is not so important what kind of meat is used for barbecue, but that it is cooked on fire - preferably over coals. Then the roasting is better and there are no carcinogens. Grill equipment also plays an important role.
Today there is a wide range of prices for equipment for cooking meat. From simple barbecues for 500 rubles to American ceramic grills costing 100 thousand.
The choice depends on the consumer: there are tripod weights, portable and on wheels, which is very convenient. Nowadays, tandoors - the so-called clay ovens - are especially popular. You can not only bake meat in them, but also make bread.
It is better to choose equipment according to your skills and frequency of use.
A dish prepared on a grill requires special skills. To cook meat on the grill efficiently, you need to monitor the cooking process very carefully. And grilling doesn’t require any special skills; anyone, even a child, can do it,” explains store manager Pavel Rvachev.
However, nutritionists do not recommend getting carried away with barbecue. Frequent consumption of protein large quantities, especially in the evening, weighs down and acidifies the body. Therefore, after a picnic you may feel dizzy, acute gastritis and pancreatitis. The body feels tired after such a rest. By washing down our meals with alcohol, we finish off our liver and pancreas. That's why best drink for barbecue - simple clean water.
It is believed that love for a man lies through the stomach, and it is so ritually created in our country that a man should love meat. If a woman doesn’t fry a piece of meat for her man for dinner, it means she doesn’t love him. But love is conveyed not only by food, you need to be rational here. And if you give protein, then you need to choose it as safe, advises nutritionist Albina Nikitina.
So a little bit of good stuff. But if you still want barbecue, it is better to cook it as simply and safely as possible - in a marinade made from products with natural acids - from onions, mineral water, lemon or kiwi. To neutralize the curing effect of meat, you need to add a double dose to it raw vegetables. And remember that going out into nature should not be turned into a holiday of gluttony.
It would seem that nothing could be easier than choosing alcohol to go with your barbecue. It turns out that there are some tricks here too. Moreover, the wrong drinks can completely ruin the experience. After all, alcohol is served not to lift the mood, but to emphasize the taste of fried meat.
In addition, it is with the help of the right drinks that odors can be masked. Therefore, we suggest finding out what drink goes with barbecue, and what alcohol is best to avoid when serving poultry, meat, and fish.
What alcohol goes with barbecue: basic rules
Experts advise sticking to the basic rule when choosing alcohol: the more specific the smell of meat, the more aromatic the alcohol.
It is this kind of alcohol that can muffle a specific smell or emphasize the aroma. But each type of barbecue has its own rules for choosing drinks.
It is a mistake to think that meat cooked over fire requires exclusively strong alcohol.
It is necessary to take into account not only the type of meat used, but also the time of year and the composition of the company.
Definitely, if an exclusively female company or a majority of women has gathered for a picnic, you need to take care of the availability of lighter alcohol.
It doesn't hurt to take personal preferences into account.
If a man is used to drinking barbecue and drinking beer exclusively, no rules or persuasion can convince him.
Don't spoil your friends' holiday with your beliefs - make sure you have a variety of drinks.
Remember that in addition to the usual beer, vodka, cognac and wine, there are many interesting recipes cocktails and low-alcohol drinks that can be served both as an aperitif and directly with meat.
But if you still want to know how to properly emphasize the taste of meat, get acquainted with the basic recommendations of a sommelier.
Invite your friends to try barbecue with this alcohol and receive satisfied smiles and compliments.
Alcohol for poultry kebab
Wine goes well with poultry kebab.
But in order to decide on the type, strength and taste of wine, you need to know what kind of poultry you will use and how to cook it.
Whole fried chicken. If you decide to roast a whole chicken on a grill or spit, serve it with young white wine of medium sweetness.
Adding green apples or lemon slices to it during cooking will help highlight the taste of poultry meat. Choose the wine itself without a strong aroma. Regarding strength, the ideal drink is not too strong, but not light either.
This kebab turns out to be much drier than a carcass cooked whole. Therefore, it will have to be given juiciness through the drink.
Since dry meat is usually washed down with large amounts of drinks, strong alcohol is not suitable. In this case, we settle on a sweet rose wine without a strong aroma. It will be better if such a wine is young and very light in strength.
Roasted turkey meat has a specific smell. And to tone it down, emphasizing the originality of the taste, we serve red semi-dry wine, which has a bright aroma.
Considering that this kebab is quite fatty, you will want to quench your thirst.
A drink with a sour taste is ideal for this. The strength of this alcohol is low, so you can drink a lot of it without worrying about the condition of your guests.
Partridge. It is better to roast such game whole, since the meat of such a bird is rather dry.
And like any game we serve red wine.
In this case, a sour drink without a tart taste would be ideal.
A combination of several grape varieties will give perfect aroma and taste that goes perfectly with any game roasted over a fire.
Poultry. We serve white wine with a strong aroma with goose and duck kebab. Moreover, the strength of such a drink will directly depend on the fat content of the meat.
For a fatty bird, you can choose a semi-sweet drink, but for a slightly dry one, it’s better to take a semi-dry one. Fortified wine will also work. It is important that the alcohol has a bright aroma.
Poultry often has a pungent odor, and even spices cannot kill it.
Therefore, it is better to drown out such an aroma with a wine with a bright bouquet.
And don’t forget that the ideal marinade for any bird would be a wine-based marinade. Grape drink saturates poultry meat, giving it an unforgettable aroma and softness.
Alcoholic drinks for lamb shish kebab
If you decide to roast a whole young lamb on a spit or cook a large piece of lamb, fortified red wine is ideal as a drink.
The specific smell of such meat is ideally combined with strong wine, while the pleasant taste and juiciness of the dish is emphasized. Many people refuse to cook lamb kebab precisely because of the presence of an unusual smell, despite their love for the delicious fatty meat that melts in the mouth.
This problem can be solved if you use aromatic strong or dry wine in combination with spices for the marinade. In this case, the meat is saturated with the aromas of wine and spices, which muffles its specific smell.
By the way, the issue of choosing alcohol resolves itself. The same wine that was used to marinate the meat is served with the shish kebab. As for lamb shish kebab, fried in pieces, there is a much wider choice of alcohol.
You can still stick to the same red fortified wine.
But cognac is also ideal, only good quality and having a pleasant taste and pronounced aroma.
Considering that any lamb is very fatty, strong alcohol is served with it. However, vodka will not work in this case, although it has a high strength.
The fact is that this alcohol does not have a pronounced aroma, which is important when combined with lamb. But vodka tinctures with a bright smell are ideal in this case.
For a picnic with shish kebab from such meat in winter period It’s better to buy cognac or prepare a tincture.
But on hot days, give preference to fortified wine.
What alcohol goes well with pork kebab?
Pairs perfectly with pure vodka.
Since pork is usually chosen with fat when preparing barbecue, the dish turns out juicy, but quite fatty. Therefore, the alcohol for such a treat should be strong. Moreover, such a drink should lack a strong aroma.
Since pork does not have a strong smell, the aroma of alcoholic beverages can simply overwhelm its taste.
It is better to abandon the idea of serving tincture or cognac. Pork kebab drink exclusively with vodka.
But keep in mind that in this case, alcohol plays the role of a drink “for appetite” and is not served in large volumes.
If you are preparing a dish of pig or meat without fat, take care of alcohol with which you can wash down the dish.
This kebab turns out to be a bit dry, which requires a large amount of alcohol.
But at the same time, it must be strong and odorless, so as not to interrupt the taste of the dish and soften the fat content that is still present.
You can accompany dry pork with fortified red wine, which has a sweet taste.
A homemade sweet and sour cocktail is also suitable. But vodka is not suitable for wild boar shish kebab.
This dish requires a strong but aromatic alcoholic drink. The ideal choice would be a strong red wine. But since the meat is quite fatty, good cognac will do.
Some people prefer beer with pork kebab. Definitely this is not the best option alcohol to such meat, but still acceptable.
Since you’ve decided to stick to beer on a hot summer day, choose strong, dark varieties.
Be sure to cool the beer thoroughly. What could be better on a hot day than ice-cold beer accompanied by hot, freshly prepared kebab.
By the way, beer can also be used in the process of preparing barbecue. To give the meat an unusual flavor, spray it with beer a couple of times in a small volume. The main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to spoil the meat.
Alcoholic drinks for beef kebabs
Pick up suitable alcohol for beef shish kebab is not an easy task.
The fact is that such meat does not have a pronounced taste. In addition, after cooking over a fire, it turns out to be a bit dry.
Many different spices are usually added to the marinade to give the beef the desired taste and aroma.
It is these characteristics that need to be taken into account when choosing alcohol.
Firstly, the barbecue needs to be washed down - so guests will drink a lot of alcohol, which will immediately cross off too strong drinks from their list.
Secondly, you will have to emphasize taste and smell. This requires alcohol with a bright and sometimes pungent aroma.
And the most difficult thing is to choose alcohol, the smell of which will be combined with the spices used in the marinade. So that it doesn’t turn out that the kebab is a separate dish, and the drink is present on the table by itself.
So let's start with simple option– a strong aromatic wine, always red, preferably aged for a long time.
You can also consider the option of liqueur. Here it is better to choose a drink that has a nutty, herbal or sharp aroma.
But keep in mind that liquor is not drunk in pure form, but you can’t drink too much of it. Therefore, think about how you will dilute it.
You can use diluted vodka or just soda. Or make a cocktail with ice. The main thing is that such a drink does not lose its smell.
Vermouth goes perfectly with beef. This aromatic herbal tincture is not so strong and can be drunk in large quantities.
In addition, it goes well with any spices and seasonings. Such a tandem always complements each other and emphasizes their advantages.
You can consider the option of vodka infusions, which can emphasize the rather weak taste of fried meat. 
The main thing is that such drinks are not too strong, but quite aromatic.
Selecting alcohol for fish kebab
Usually white wine is served with fish - dry or semi-dry. But this also has its own characteristics. Everything will depend on the variety, smell of the fish, as well as the method of marinating and cooking.
First of all, focus on the taste of the marinade. If it gives sourness, then the alcohol should have a similar taste.
In this case, a semi-sweet rose wine that does not have a strong smell is ideal.
If the fish was marinated in wine, and most often dry wine is used for this, then serve the same drink with the kebab. 
But just don’t overcook the fish in the marinade, otherwise it will become rough and dry.
Pay attention to the status of the product. When preparing shish kebab from elite varieties, for example, sturgeon or salmon, choose a status, but light drink.
In this case, the ideal choice would be a martini, and not a cheap one.
For simpler fish, inexpensive dry white wine, but with a pleasant acidity, will be enough.
When you grill fish whole, the dish turns out more juicy. Therefore, in this case, the ideal would be a semi-dry wine with a not pronounced sourness, which can add piquancy to the taste of the kebab.
If you cook shish kebab from fish that has bad smell mud, for example, from catfish, it is not always possible to beat it even with strong spices. Therefore, you will have to save the situation with wine with a pronounced aroma, but not a strong strength.
A semi-dry drink made from grapes is suitable, but it must have a pronounced bouquet that can cover up the smell of fish.
By the way, the approach to choosing alcohol in fish with a smell can be radically opposite.
If you want to emphasize this aroma, serve a light pink wine or a highly diluted liqueur without a strong aroma.
But in order to score fishy smell, take alcohol with a bright aroma. Both white and rose wine, both dry and semi-dry, are suitable here.
If you like unusual combinations, try fish with liqueur that has herbal notes.
Be sure to choose a drink that will combine not only with the main ingredient, but also with the smell of the spices used in the marinade.
It is better to dilute the liqueur. Adjust the strength with soda or tonic.
For fatty kebab, you need a stronger drink, but it’s better to wash down dry fish with a non-strong drink.
What alcohol to choose for sausages and sausages on a campfire
Oddly enough, even sausages or sausages cooked on a grill or skewers require a special approach when choosing a drink.
By far the most common option is beer. But here you need to take into account what kind of meat the sausages themselves are made from and what spices are present in them.
For chicken sausages or those made from other poultry, light beer is suitable. It should not have a specific aroma or contain additives. But a slight bitterness will come in handy.
Keep in mind that such sausages do not have a strong smell or distinct taste, and drinks with additives will completely ruin their taste.
For fatty sausages with pieces of lard, prepare dark beer varieties with a tart aroma.
In terms of strength, focus on the fat content of the dish. The strongest beer is served with fatty sausages.
Flavorings in the form of additives and beer with spices would also be appropriate here. But this, of course, is a matter of taste.
But under low-fat meat sausages you can serve light beer, but with a pronounced taste.
Such dishes most often do not stand out in terms of taste. Therefore, you will have to add it at the expense of the drink.
A nutritionist advised barbecue lovers to wash down fried meat with pineapple juice.
If you cook barbecue several times a year, there is little point in bothering with arranging a place for frying meat; a regular portable grill will do. For those who pamper themselves and their guests with freshly cooked meat more often, in the barbecue store mangalshop.ru you can buy a barbecue with a roof, barbecue, grill and related accessories and accessories necessary for a summer holiday with barbecue.
Mikhail Zeigarnik is sure that pineapple juice does not help burn fat, but its benefits when eating meat are beyond doubt.
The expert is confident that pineapple juice improves digestion: “It contains substances that promote the breakdown of protein. Therefore, digestion is easier, especially if you overeat on barbecue.”
Besides, healthy drink Dry red wine can be used for barbecue. Wine must be chosen carefully, because its quality plays a decisive role. The main argument in favor of wine is acidity: “In the Caucasus, fried meat is washed down with dry red wine. It's not only good taste, but also the right combination of acidity.”
It is important to remember that wine should be consumed in moderation, if abused alcoholic drink, digestive problems are inevitable.
Nutritionists also talked about what kind of snack would go well with grilled meat: it’s best to snack on vegetables before starting to eat kebab. This way, the body will receive the necessary supply of fiber, which will protect against overeating, providing a feeling of fullness.
It is best to enjoy vegetables while the kebab is being prepared. Doctors believe that vegetables and meat are the optimal combination for healthy digestion. As for the kebab itself, it is best to cook light and low-fat kebab. For outdoor recreation, doctors advise choosing chicken, turkey or lean lamb.
In March 2014, scientists conducted a study that showed that marinating meat in beer is beneficial. Beer marinade helps reduce the amount of carcinogenic substances in fried meat. It has been proven that fried meat can increase the risk of colorectal cancer. The reason is heat treatment meat, high temperature leads to the formation of polycyclic hydrocarbons. Similar harmful substances are contained in tobacco smoke and exhaust gases.
However, Spanish scientists conducted an experiment; they soaked pork in beer for 4 hours. It turned out that dark beer is most effective in reducing the concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons. Thus, the amount of harmful substances is reduced by 50% when compared with meat that was not marinated in beer before cooking.
Holidays.Weekends,Nature.BBQ....Nice set, isn't it?
And don't forget: EVERYTHING IS GOOD IN MODERATION!:)
Alcohol for poultry kebab
Before making poultry shish kebab, you will have to stock up on wine. Depending on what kind of bird you are going to make it from and how - in pieces or whole carcasses, since the size of the shish kebab pieces also changes its taste, that is, what larger pieces, the juicier and tastier the kebab meat is, the variety, taste and strength of the wine is determined.
It is best to serve a shish kebab of whole roasted chicken with young, sweet white wine, especially if during its preparation you added green apples (they perfectly emphasize the specific taste of chicken meat, its tenderness and softness) or lemon slices. But the wine should not have too strong an aroma so that it feels like the kebab is made from chicken. The wine should not be very strong, but not weak either.
Sweet pink wine goes well with chicken kebab, cut into small pieces and soaked in wine. Such kebab will not be as juicy as from a full chicken carcass, which means that in order to give the pieces more juiciness, you will have to wash it down. Strong alcoholic drinks are not suitable, because in this case you will have to drink a considerable amount of them, so it is best to serve this kebab with a very weak young wine with a sweet taste and not a very strong aroma, so as not to overwhelm the smell of the chicken.
Semi-dry red wine with a strong aroma goes perfectly with turkey barbecue. It will give an original taste to the specific smell of meat. And since kebab is a rather fatty food that causes thirst, the pleasant, sour (but not very sour) taste of dry wine will perfectly quench your thirst, and its aroma will give turkey kebab a unique taste. This wine is not very strong, you can drink quite a lot of it.
Kebab tips
In order for the kebab to acquire an exquisite taste, some specialists in its preparation wrap it with grape leaves after threading the meat onto a skewer. Of course, the leaves burn during frying, but the meat manages to be imbued with a wonderful aroma. In addition, before frying, the meat can be wrapped in blackcurrant leaves, then you will have a kebab with a magnificent currant aroma and soaked in vitamins that it receives from the blackcurrant leaves.
Red wine is also served with partridge kebab. Only in this case the carcasses should be fried whole, since they, as a rule, are not very fatty. It is advisable that the wine be dry, since the taste of partridge meat implies serving it with some sour drinks, and since partridge is a game, then, like any game, red wine is served with it, which does not have a tart taste and combines several aromatic grape varieties. The same wine is served with any game kebab.
Best for poultry shish kebab (duck, goose, etc.) white will do wine with a strong aroma, semi-dry or semi-sweet. If the bird is very fatty, semi-sweet is better. In some cases, fortified wine can be served. The most important thing is that it has a very bright aromatic bouquet, because some types of poultry are endowed with a sharp, not very pleasant smell, which many people do not like. This smell cannot always be overcome by spices added to the marinade, so aromatic wine is most suitable for this type of kebab.
Stages of alcoholism: Test yourself
If you want to surprise your guests, you can cook it yourself Home wine , For example from black elderberries . Required: black elderberry, wine yeast, 250-300 g sugar, 10 g citric acid. Cooking method. Fill the berries with water to 1/2 of their height in the pan. Simmer until soft. Add wine yeast to the boiled and crushed berries and let them ferment for 2-3 days in a wide-necked container. Then rub the berries through a sieve. Dilute the resulting wort with an equal volume of syrup prepared at the rate of 250-300 g of sugar per 1 liter of water and 10 g of citric acid per 1 liter of syrup. Pour the mixture into a bottle and seal it so that it can come out freely. carbon dioxide and at the same time no oxygen passed through. You can put it on the neck of the bottle balloon or rubber glove. However, the most convenient way is to make a hole in the lid and insert a long rubber tube into it, the other end of which is lowered into a container of water. When the ball or glove falls off or the bubbles stop coming out of the tube, fermentation has stopped. Immediately drain the wine, being careful not to get any sediment. If the wine is sour, add sugar to it, cover with an airtight lid and place in a cool, dark place to stand. Don't forget that the longer the wine sits, the tastier it will be.
And further: poultry, as a rule, does not require long marinating. In addition, if you want the poultry kebab to have a delicate, pleasant taste, and the meat to be soft, soak it in dry wine - the poultry meat will be saturated with its aroma and will not be harsh, as can happen if vinegar is added to the marinade.
Alcohol for lamb shish kebab
The taste of a young, whole roasted lamb will benefit from the aroma of fortified red wine. With significant strength and a very strong aroma, such a wine will go well with the specific smell of lamb, favorably emphasizing the juiciness of the kebab and its pleasant taste. But if you or your guests have a negative attitude towards the smell of lamb, although you like the taste of fatty, melt-in-your-mouth lamb meat roasted over an open fire, it is best to soak it in the same wine with a strong aroma, adding vinegar or dry wine and spices with a strong aroma smell. The meat will acquire a light aroma of wine and be saturated with the smell of spices. Moreover, you can’t go wrong when choosing wine, since the aroma of the meat will certainly be combined with the same wine in which it was soaked.
Kebab tips Everyone knows that the best seasoning for barbecue is ketchup. Many people eat kebab exclusively with ketchup, while others, on the contrary, prefer to eat kebab without anything, since, in their opinion, ketchup interrupts the real taste of the kebab.
The same tips apply to lamb shish kebab, cut into pieces. But here, in addition to strong red wine, you can serve it with cognac, always of excellent quality and with a pleasant, aromatic taste.
Lamb (even young) is very fatty, and its fat is specific, so the stronger the drink served with it, the better.
Vodka, although strong, will not go well with such a barbecue - it does not have the aroma necessary in this case, but various vodka liqueurs can be excellent. They retain the strength necessary when eating lamb, but their aroma can either overpower the smell of lamb, or, conversely, emphasize it if necessary.
If you are planning to make lamb shish kebab in cold weather, then strong drinks - cognac, liqueurs will come in handy, but in hot weather it is still better to prefer wine, even fortified.
Alcohol for pork shish kebab
Vodka is the ideal alcoholic option for pork shish kebab. Pork, like lamb, is most often fatty. And for barbecue, as a rule, fattier meat is chosen, although there should still be enough fat in it. But in order for the meat to be better absorbed by the body and to make it more pleasant to eat, there is nothing better for such a kebab than a strong alcoholic drink without aromatic additives, since pork meat does not contain a very pronounced specific odor. Therefore, vodka goes better with it than other alcoholic drinks. In this case, those drinks are taken that are consumed “for appetite” - in very small quantities.
To go with a kebab made from a young lean pig or suckling pig, you’d better choose something not very strong from alcoholic drinks that can be consumed as a drink, since kebab made from lean pork meat turns out to be a bit dry. A not very strong red wine with a pleasant sweetish taste or some kind of sweet and sour alcoholic cocktail will do. But again, these alcoholic drinks should not have a strong aroma, otherwise the taste of the kebab will be overwhelmed by it and you will not get full pleasure from the pork kebab.
The same applies to alcoholic drinks served with wild boar kebab - they should be strong enough, but not aromatic. Although in this case you will have to choose between the strength and the amount of alcohol that you are going to drink, since this kebab will also have to be washed down. Therefore, vodka does not quite go well with wild boar kebab. It is optimal to serve red wine with light aromatic taste. It should be quite strong so that it can be combined with fatty meat and so that it can be washed down with kebab without any problems.
Kebab tips
Despite the fact that kebab is very popular in many countries and is successfully consumed by millions of inhabitants of our land, we must not forget that this dish is quite high in calories and rich in carbohydrates. Shish kebab is usually very fatty and therefore poorly absorbed by the body. Therefore, people suffering from diseases gastrointestinal tract, should not be abused.
For pork and wild boar shish kebab beer will do. But this, however, is not the best option. However, if you are barbecuing in very hot weather, perhaps beer is preferable to spirits. In this case, it should be very strong and preferably dark, since dark beers have the property of imparting a special bouquet to the meat. But if you are not a fan of dark beer, replace it with light beer with some additives. Cool it thoroughly in advance. Hot, fresh shish kebab and ice-cold beer are a good combination for lovers of tasty and satisfying food.
An interesting flavor can be added to pork kebab by sprinkling the meat several times with beer (preferably dark or with spices) during the cooking process. But you shouldn’t pour it over the kebab too much - you may end up with something completely inedible.
Alcohol for beef skewers
A well-aged strong red wine with a pleasant tart taste and a strong aroma, which will give it additional taste, is perfect for shish kebab made from young beef. This is necessary because charcoal-grilled beef does not have a strong enough flavor and, even if it is soaked with a lot of spices, it will not have the same taste as kebabs made from other types of meat. After all, beef has a low fat content, and shashlik made from it is always somewhat dry, so a wine with a strong aroma is best suited.
Since shish kebab is a hearty appetizer, it is appropriate if the wine is strong. And, naturally, the wine served with such a kebab should be red.
Liqueurs with a strong aroma, preferably nutty or herbal and sugary or slightly sour, go well with beef kebabs. But we should not forget that liqueurs in their pure form are usually not drunk even with barbecue. How to dilute it is up to you. If you are going to drink it in a stronger version, dilute it with vodka (of course, not in its pure form, but diluted to 15-20 degrees with water and ice).
A softer version will be obtained if you dilute the liquor soft drink, for example soda or any other, taste and smell suitable to it. As a last resort, the liquor can simply be diluted ice water. But don't overdo it. Remember that you will drink it with a barbecue of meat, so the liqueur must be strong enough and its taste and smell should be preserved in any case. In addition, if desired, the liqueur can not be diluted if you like it undiluted.
And one more thing: the liqueur is always aromatic. Marinade for beef kebab, as a rule, also contains spices with a very strong odor. It is important to choose a liqueur with such a smell that it combines the smell with the spices of the marinade. Otherwise, it will turn out that you will drink the liqueur separately, and not in combination with the kebab, that is, it will not emphasize its taste. If you find the optimal combination between the aroma of the liqueur and the smell of the spices included in the marinade, you will get an amber that is most suitable for beef kebab, where the smells will complement each other, and the taste of the kebab will be favorably emphasized by them.
It’s also a good idea to pair beef shish kebab with aromatic, weak liqueurs, which will highlight and enhance the taste of beef with their aroma. But, as in the case of liqueurs, you need to find the optimal combination of the smell of the tincture and spices.
If you or your guests prefer light alcoholic drinks, the taste of beef kebab can be well emphasized by vermouth. It goes perfectly with almost all the seasonings with which you decide to soak the kebab during marinating. This means that you will get double pleasure: vermouth and beef shish kebab complement each other perfectly: shish kebab emphasizes the advantages of good vermouth, and vermouth emphasizes the taste of beef, allowing you to pay attention to exactly what it is not always noticeable feature, which is most often lost when consuming such kebab in combination with many other alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol for fish kebab
For fish kebab, the best thing is dry or semi-dry white wine. Although, depending on the fish and how you are going to fry it - whole or in pieces, as well as in what marinade it is marinated, there may be options. For example, if you marinated fish with additives that give a sour taste and strong aroma, the most acceptable alcoholic drink in this case would be semi-sweet rose wine without a pronounced aroma.
Fish, like poultry, is quite often soaked in dry wine, and it pickles very quickly, so do not keep it for long - this will make its taste coarser and the kebab itself drier, especially if the wine you chose is very sour, and the fish is not very fatty. But one way or another, if you serve the kebab with the same wine in which you marinated the fish, you won’t go wrong.
The ideal option for sturgeon kebab is a martini. The more expensive this drink, the better, since such kebab implies an expensive alcoholic drink. Remember that the taste of sturgeon kebab should be emphasized by the drink. If you are making a simpler fish kebab, stop at a not very expensive, pleasantly sour, semi-dry white wine with a light aroma.
If you are going to fry a kebab from a whole one, not very large fish, semi-dry wine will come in handy. Its pleasant, not very sharp sourness will add a piquant flavor to the dish. Moreover, usually such kebab turns out to be quite juicy and aromatic, especially if the fish is fatty, and the light, noble bouquet of semi-dry wine will give a pleasant flavor.
A young wine with a strong aroma is best suited for shish kebab from young catfish, since catfish quite often has a specific smell of mud, which can persist despite the strong-smelling spices present in the marinade. Here the alcoholic drink must cover the smell of mud and not be strong, that is, white semi-dry wine is most suitable for such a kebab.
You can pair the fish with some liqueur with a bright herbal aroma. When choosing a liqueur, also take into account the smell of the spices included in the marinade - they (the aroma of the liqueur and the smell of the spices) must correspond to each other. In addition, fish for barbecue plays an important role when choosing liqueur: the drier the fish, the less alcohol should be contained in the liqueur. If you are going to dilute liquor, in this case, avoid strong alcoholic drinks and limit yourself to tonic or soda.
Kebab tips
If you don’t have metal skewers, you can replace them with tree branches, but not dry ones, otherwise the “skewer” may burn out during frying and the kebabs will end up in the fire. To do this, you need to use the branches of a young tree, removing the bark from it.
And one more thing: fish with a sharp, specific odor requires a special approach to the choice of alcohol. If you are going to emphasize this smell, serve a light rose wine or a highly diluted liqueur with a weak smell and a slightly sweet taste with the barbecue. Dry white wine will do. If, on the contrary, you want to make this smell as unnoticeable as possible, then, in addition to marinade spices with a strong odor, you need to take care of alcohol with a strong aroma. Choose a wine, firstly, dry or semi-dry, and secondly, white or rose.
Alcohol for BBQ sausages
Separate view allocate barbecue. The same drinks are served with meat and fish prepared in this way as with kebabs fried in the usual way. BBQ sausages require a slightly different approach.
The most common alcohol served with barbecue sausages is beer. Depending on what meat the sausages are made of and what spices are included in them, the choice of beer is determined.
For example, with sausages made from chicken or some other bird, beer, as a rule, is not very strong and, preferably, light, with a slight bitterness and without aromatic additives. Although the latter is a matter of taste. But it should be noted that these additives, as a rule, interrupt the smell of the meat from which the sausages are made.
For very fatty barbecue sausages, which contain a lot of lard, dark beer with a tart smell is best. Its strength is determined depending on how fatty the barbecue sausages are. The fatter they are, the stronger the beer should be. In this case, it is appropriate to have beer with various spices or flavoring additives that can cover up the smell of fat if you or someone in your company does not really like it.
Low-fat barbecue sausages are usually served with not very strong light beer with various flavoring additives and fairly strong aromas, since they usually do not have any special taste and must be added through drinks.
Happy Holidays, delicious kebabs and Bon Appetit!
Don't overeat or overdrink!
Best wishes, Margarita :)
