Is there a person in the world who, having tasted correctly cooked barbecue, would say that it is not tasty? Probably there is, but our article is not addressed to him, but to those lovers of this dish who have tried different marinade recipes and are now looking for something new and especially tasty. After all, a good marinade for barbecue is half the success of the whole dish. The product, skillfully prepared on the grill, has a peculiar taste of smoke and various seasonings. The second advantage of cooking on the grill is that, with proper adherence to the technology of its preparation, the beneficial substances contained in its ingredients are stored almost completely. As for health parasites that may be present in meat or fish, they are destroyed by the high temperature of hot coals, as well as by the acid present in the marinade. In our article, the best marinade recipes for barbecue made of pork, beef, lamb, chicken, rabbit and fish are selected.
Essential information regarding marinating barbecue
For a good kebab, you need to take only the highest quality, proven fresh meat or fish. A slight presence of fat is welcome.
The pulp should be cut into pieces weighing about 50 g. A good kebab marinade, among other things, often contains onions. It gives piquant to the marinade, and the dish with it will turn out more juicy. Onion rings, after the main ingredient is pickled, are sometimes strung on skewers, alternating with pieces of meat or fish. For 2 kg of pulp, 700 g of onion is required. The ratio is approximate. It is believed that kebabs can not be spoiled with onions. It is desirable that the onion heads are small - their diameter should not exceed the thickness of the sliced pieces. Otherwise, the onion will go beyond them and burn, and this is not very tasty.
Pieces of meat or fish need to be put in a large bowl, pour the marinade and stir. After that, lay onions between the pieces. It should also be marinated and it is desirable to preserve the integrity of the rings, otherwise it will not be possible to put on skewers. The bowl is covered with a circle or a plate, crushed by oppression and put in a cool place. After a few hours, depending on the marinade that is preferred, as well as on the raw material that is pickled, you can start stringing and frying.
Traditional vinegar marinade
The composition of vinegar marinade includes table vinegar - about 70-90 g, salt and ground pepper. You do not need to add water, because during the pickling process the meat will let the juice mix, mix with vinegar and soak all the meat. Caution should be exercised with salt, as the meat loses a certain amount of moisture during the frying process, as a result of which the salt concentration rises. Some undersalt can subsequently be compensated for with a sauce that is served with barbecue. His recipe is at the end of the article.
A good barbecue marinade, prepared using table vinegar, is suitable for all types of meat and fish.
Fruit Vinegar Marinade
Natural fruit barbecue vinegar is even better than regular table vinegar, but due to the low concentration, and it does not exceed 4%, a longer exposure is required. Its quantity is also taken more than 2-3 times, that is, half a glass. If ordinary table vinegar softens and soaks the meat in a couple of hours, then fruit and berry will require about 8 hours.
The best marinade recipe for barbecue on vinegar usually involves the use of natural grape or apple vinegar infused with rosemary, tarragon or basil. This marinade is used for cooking kebabs of pork, beef, lamb, chicken, rabbit and fish such as salmon or sturgeon.
The composition of the marinade, in addition to vinegar, includes salt and pepper. With onions, they do the same as in the case of the traditional marinade on table vinegar.
Red or White Wine Marinade
The acids contained in table wines do a great job of pickling. The best kebab marinade is always made taking into account the color of the meat. For dark meat they take red wine, and chicken and fish are pickled in white. Ideal for pickling semi-sweet wine. White wine will give the kebab a slightly sour taste, which is beneficial for both chicken and fish. Of all the varieties of red wine, you can safely give preference to cabernet. Its astringency goes well with the meat of large animals, as well as rabbit meat. The best marinade for pork kebab is made on cognac. It is usually half diluted with water or citrus juice.
For 2 kg of pulp, one glass of wine mixed with salt and ground pepper is enough. The taste of the marinade depends on the type of wine. Onions in this case will be useful. It is recommended to grind it in a blender to a state of homogeneous puree and put in the marinade. Whole branches of fresh parsley should be sent there.
Marinade with mayonnaise
Modern gourmets are advised to pickle barbecue in mayonnaise. This method is most suitable for those cases when the meat has no fat at all and can turn out to be harsh, however, the most knowledgeable in barbecue people claim that mayonnaise, as well as sour-milk products, is the best marinade for pork barbecue.
The mayonnaise contains all the ingredients necessary for marinating - vinegar, salt, pepper and even mustard. It also gives dry and hard meat incomparable juiciness and softness. The pickling time is quite long. It is better to leave the meat with mayonnaise in a cold place all night. Since vegetable oil is present in mayonnaise, the kebab will be fried quickly enough. To get a delicate and fragrant dish, it is important not to overdo skewers on fire. Here you will need to follow very carefully. When a piece of transparent liquid appears in the section, the kebab is considered to be ready.
Sparkling Marinade
For marinade take mineral water with gas. It is desirable that this water has a pronounced taste and a high level of salinity. Carbon dioxide passes through the meat fibers and creates the conditions for deeper penetration into it of the aromatic components of the marinade. These are fresh herbs - parsley, celery, basil, tarragon, oregano and mint. The amount of salt and pepper is determined individually, based on the taste of mineral water.
Perfectly marinating and sweet carbonated drinks. Despite their apparent incompatibility with salt, pepper, onions and green herbs, the meat is pickled in them very quickly. It turns out a very good marinade for barbecue from a variety of types of meat. It undergoes the necessary hygienic treatment and acquires a wonderful taste.
Korean marinade
Kebab lovers who know a lot about pickling meat recommend pickling it in liquid from Korean vegetables, which are sold by market by weight. The tart taste of a very spicy solution perfectly pickles any meat. This is the best marinade for dark meat barbecue. The Koreans keep the composition of their pickles a secret, but it is not necessary to know them. For 12 skewers, half a glass of Korean marinade from any vegetables is quite enough.
Tomato Marinade
Another option for quick marinade is canned tomatoes. It has all the necessary components. Tomatoes are also used for pickling meat. A few pieces need to be kneaded and combined with brine. In this composition, hold the meat for one night. The next day, barbecue can be fried.
As for the fish, this is perhaps the best marinade for barbecue from it. In this case, pickling should not be too long - 15-20 minutes will be enough.
Pomegranate Juice Marinade
In the southern regions, it is believed that the best lamb skewers marinade is obtained from pomegranate juice. Packaged canned juice is not suitable for this purpose. It is better to buy fresh on the market or squeeze it out of pomegranates yourself. For pickling 2 kg of meat, one glass of juice is enough.
In addition to juice, marinade includes salt with pepper and fresh herbs. They need to be put in whole branches. They should not fall on skewers. Since the pickling process lasts about a day, during this time the plants manage to give all their aromas to the marinade.
The same marinade is suitable for beef.
Pomegranate juice makes the color of meat more saturated and beautiful, and this in some cases is very significant.
Beer Marinade
This marinade can be prepared on the same beer with the usual seasonings, such as salt and pepper, without adding anything else, in the hope that the hops and malt that gave the taste of the drink will do a good deed for the meat. It is on beer, according to experts, that the best marinade for pork skewers is obtained. Only high-quality live beer is suitable for it without the inclusion of preservatives and other artificial ingredients.
Beer marinade is able to turn the usual slices of meat slices into an amazingly delicious dish.
Beer and pomegranate juice must be mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. Put cilantro, basil, parsley and celery in the marinade and chop into porridge using a blender. Salt and pepper. Dip the meat in the marinade and hold it for 6 hours. If the kebab is planned for the second part of the day, then this is convenient to do in the morning. So that the meat retains all its aromas and does not lose its juiciness, before planting it on skewers, it should be removed from the marinade and pour with vegetable oil. This kebab is fried faster than without oil. Its readiness is checked by notching a piece of meat. As soon as the juice from red turns into transparent, the kebab is ready. It is recommended to remove it a little undercooked. The best marinade for pork barbecue, and beer marinade just such, has a unique conservation property, in which even raw meat does not harm health.
Lemon Juice Marinade
Such a marinade is most suitable for fish, but may well be suitable for meat. From several lemons, you need to squeeze 150 grams of juice, add salt, pepper, onion and green culinary herbs to it, added to it. Pickle not too long - no more than half an hour. Remove the pickled pieces from the sauce and sprinkle with vegetable oil. After that, immediately string on skewers and send to the barbecue.
Kefir marinade
Sour-milk products are considered an excellent basis for marinade. In order to pickle 2 kg of meat, you need to prepare the following composition. Spicy herbs - cilantro, basil, dill, mint, celery and parsley - put in a blender. There, send a few cloves of garlic and a couple of onion heads. Salt, add ground pepper and pour half a liter of kefir. Grind all the ingredients and pour pieces of meat in a thick and aromatic mixture. The best marinade for barbecue from chicken, pork, lamb or beef is obtained on old kefir. The sour the better. The duration of pickling depends on the type of meat. 30–40 minutes are enough for a chicken, and pork can be kept for a day.
Chicken marinade
Chicken breast fillet can be pickled in any of the above methods, but we offer you the best marinade for chicken kebab, tried and liked by many gourmets. In order for the marinade to be enough for one and a half kilograms of meat, you need to mix two tablespoons of the finished mustard with the same amount of mayonnaise and soy sauce. Add a handful of suneli hops and a teaspoon of powdered sugar. Chop two large cloves of garlic and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Marinate in this composition for about 40 minutes.
Kebab sauce
The main task of the marinade is to process raw meat products in such a way that they become absolutely safe for eating. After keeping the meat in one of the marinades we have proposed, it can be eaten raw, but it will be much tastier if it is scorched by the heat of the charcoal grill and pour over the corresponding sauce.
We offer you a universal sauce that goes well with any barbecue. If your kebab turned out to be a bit fresh due to the incorrect calculation of the amount of salt and hot pepper, then all the oversights are successfully compensated by homemade tomato sauce.
Three kilograms of tomatoes should be scalded with boiling water and peeled. Rub through a sieve and pour into a large cast-iron pan or pan. Put on fire. Put 3 bay leaves, one small slice of ginger root and a cinnamon stick in a pan. When the excess water evaporates, and the volume of tomato puree is reduced by 2 times, we can begin to enrich its taste. To do this, chop fresh dill, basil, tarragon, oregano, mint and 100 g of garlic in a blender. To grind into powder 1 clove, 1 pea of large pepper and 20 peas of small, a small pinch of zira and black caraway seeds. All this should be sent to the tomatoes, after removing cinnamon, bay leaf, ginger from the pan and adding salt and a coffee spoon of sugar to taste. Wait for boiling and turn off.
If the sauce turns out to be more than necessary, then it can be folded into a glass jar, pour a little oil on top, cover and cover in the refrigerator until the next barbecue.