Marinade for a shish kebab is usually mix of seasonings, salts, acids and in certain cases vegetable oil. Pickle shish kebab pieces before preparation to give them special aroma and softness. However it is correct to pickle meat – true art.
The taste, consistence and even color of a shish kebab in many respects depends on in what he was killed before preparation. Many people pickle meat in kefir, vinegar, mineral water, lemon juice, beer, wine and other liquid ingredients. Good marinade is designed to soften muscle fibers. Such shish kebab will find unique taste and aroma and will prepare much quicker. At once it is worth making a reservation that the only correct way of pickling doesn't exist. Everyone chooses ingredients for marinade at own risk, relying on the advice of the friends or on own experience.
In the Caucasus consider that it is possible to do without liquid additives at all. It is enough to grate meat I will merge, a red and black pepper to add onions and bay leaf and to put a baking plate a press for 1-2 hours
Traditional marinades for a shish kebab
In Soviet period very many used vinegar as the main ingredient for marinade. And now many people generously add acetic acid or essence. However the chef is claimed that can't be done it at all. Because of vinegar meat becomes tough. Besides, rather strong aroma of vinegar doesn't let know true taste of meat. Mayonnaise marinade became traditional for a long time. Even it seems to someone that only in this French sauce it is possible to pickle a shish kebab correctly. It is desirable to choose low-calorie low-fat mayonnaise in shop. Classical grades like Provansalya with fat content of 67% have rather dense consistence, are slowly absorbed, and therefore considerably increase soaking time. If you decided to pickle a shish kebab in mayonnaise, add this sauce and at once within 2-3 minutes mix meat hands, kind of "shaking up".
It is possible to add several drops of vegetable oil to mayonnaise marinade, then the shish kebab will turn out even more juicy
Pink sauce or as it is called still "кетчунез" - it is mix in equal proportions of ketchup and mayonnaise. In most cases such sauce is fine addition to already ready shish kebab, but can become also marinade. It is worth presoaking a shish kebab in pink sauce no more than three-four hours. One of popular marinades for a shish kebab is mineral water. However water without gas won't conceive effect and if to pour the aerated mineral water, then carbon dioxide will break off fibers. Such shish kebab will turn out dry and not too tasty.
Original marinades for a shish kebab
In the Caucasus often pickle meat in white wine. But at all not in that which moves on a table during a meal. When grapes ripen, a part of a harvest goes for production of the special wine designed to enrich taste of future shish kebab. If you didn't manage to get such wine, be not upset. It is possible to take ordinary white wine (surely dry). On kilogram of meat about 300 grams of liquid are necessary. The shish kebab wetted in such marinade turns out very juicy, fragrant and gentle. Even if you don't love sharp, risk to pickle meat in Dijon mustard. It is rather gentle in itself, but will give to meat light sharpness. Marinade with Dijon mustard – nearly only which doesn't demand some spices. It is enough to add onions. Very tasty shish kebab turns out if meat to pickle in pomegranate juice. It is better to fill in meat with juice for the night and to put a baking plate a press. For the morning it is possible to fry. The simplest option of marinade which for some reason neglect many, - a lemon and onions. And onions it is necessary to take exactly as much how many you took meat. Onions should be cut rings or half rings. In a pan the onions layer, then a meat layer, then again onions and so on gives all the best at first. The lemon in this case is just squeezed out from above. For certain the experiment will become very successful if you grate onions and a lemon (that it was easier to be made, it is possible to freeze slightly both ingredients), you will add to the container with meat and you will mix. It is necessary to salt such shish kebab for half an hour before the end of soaking.