True Caucasian Shashlik Recipes

TRUE CAUCASIAN SHASHLIK

Steps:

• Cut lamb into 2-inch cubes; toss with onion and garlic in a bowl.
• Cut fat from lamb into slivers.
• Combine pomegranate juice with salt and pour over lamb (meat and fat), set in a cool place (but NOT cold like refrigerator) and marinate 4-12 hours.
• After marinating lamb, pat each piece dry as you place it on 6 long skewers, interspersing lamb fat slivers with meat cubes; put a cube of bread at the end of each skewer to hold the meat on the skewer.
• Brush each skewer's contents with oil and sprinkle with pepper to taste.
• Grill (traditional) or broil 12-20 minutes from very high heat, turning once and basting with any juice that runs off, until meat is cooked through.
• Slip meat directly off skewer onto plate, one plate for each person being served.

GEORGIAN SHASHLYK (CAUCASIAN-STYLE SKEWERED LAMB)

Steps:

• Marinade: In a large bowl, beat together the grated onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Add the meat and toss it in the marinade to coat it thoroughly, then allow to marinate at room temperature for at least 3 hours, tossing every hour or so to keep the meat moist.
• Light a layer of coals in a charcoal broiler and burn until a white ash appears on the surface, or preheat your kitchen broiler to its highest point.
• Remove the meat from the marinade and string them on 4 long skewers, pressing them firmly together, alternate the lamb with the chunks of onion.
• Broil 4" from the source of the heat, turning the skewers occasionally, until the meat is done to your taste and the onions are brown.
• For rare allow about 10 minutes; well-done (which is more typical of Georgian cooking) will take about 15.
• Slide the meat off onto individual plates and garnish with scallions and lemon.