Shashlik (Russian Skewered Meat)
Shashlik (Russian шашлык from Turkic shishlik < shish "rod, skewer") is a dish of usually mostly meat roasted over open fire on skewers. Russians seem to have borrowed making shashliks from peoples of Caucasus mountains, and shashliks have become a picnic/garden party food in Russia similar to barbecue elsewhere. Meat is often specially marinated before roasting, and while in the Caucasus mutton is most common and Muslim peoples may abstain from alcohol, it is not so in Russian culture. Food stores in Russia in the warm season sell equipment for shashliks, like iron mangal boxes on legs to put fire underneath and skewers on top, skewers, bags of charcoal etc. While both men and women eat shashliks, it may be expected of men to be able to make the dish like other mostly meat dishes. The secret of the shashlik is that the meat should soak in a marinade for at least 3 hours.
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork shoulder
- 100 ml vodka
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp prepared mustard
- Pieces of onion, red or green bell pepper, bacon, sausage, cucumber, baby mushrooms
Method
- Mix the honey, mustard, vodka, salt and pepper in a deep bowl and soak the meat pieces in it. Leave the bowl in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
- Arrange the meat pieces on wooden or metal skewers, putting some pieces of bacon, sausage, pepper, onion, mushrooms, cucumber, according to your preference, between the pieces of meat.
- Grill the skewers.
- Serve with potato and other salads! Enjoy!