Lamb is ideal for baking and frying, it is no coincidence that Caucasian chefs use it for making barbecue. However, it requires special marinades that will not only soften the meat, but also accentuate its own taste, only slightly complementing it.
Mineral lamb marinade: kebab recipe
Ingredients (for 3 kg of meat):
- 0.5 liters of mineral water with gas;
- 2 onions;
- 300 g of Borodino bread;
- 1 lemon;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 1 tsp ground black pepper;
- 2 tbsp. salt.
Place the prepared straight lamb sticks in a deep bowl or container. Cut the peeled onions into half rings and cut the tomatoes into circles and add to the meat. Cut the bread into cubes, moisten with squeezed lemon juice and pour over with mineral water. Let the mixture stand for 2 minutes and transfer it to a container with a kebab. Pepper everything, salt and stir gently with your hands to distribute all the marinade ingredients evenly. Place the dishes in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
Oriental lamb marinade
Ingredients (per 1 kg):
- 1 tbsp. table vinegar;
- 1 onion;
- 1 tsp each cumin and dried coriander;
- 0.5 tsp ground paprika;
- a large pinch of red and black ground peppers;
- 1 tsp salt.
For marinating meat, use chemically resistant glass, ceramic or chip-free enamel dishes.
Chop the onion into small cubes. Combine the vinegar with seasonings, onions, and salt. Dip the lamb into the cooked marinade, whole if it is to be roasted, or chopped into pieces or medallions if you intend to grill it on skewers or a wire rack. Leave the meat in the cold for 5-6 hours.
Fruit marinade for lamb
Ingredients (for 1.5 kg):
- 1 st. orange and pineapple juice;
- 1 onion;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 4 stems of fresh rosemary;
- 1 tsp each dried thyme and ground black pepper;
- 1 tbsp. salt.
Crush the garlic cloves in a mortar or press and chop the onion. Combine both ingredients with juices, season with pepper, salt and dried thyme. Pour the marinade into a sturdy plastic bag, put in the right size pieces of meat for the intended dish and whole sprigs of rosemary. Tie everything hermetically and marinate the lamb for at least 1 hour. Please do not keep it in a fruit marinade for more than 4 hours, otherwise it will become too soft due to the protein-breaking enzymes in the pineapple juice.
Pomegranate marinade for lamb
Ingredients (for 1, 5-2 kg):
- 1 tbsp. undiluted pomegranate juice;
- 0, 5 tbsp. vegetable oil;
- 4-5 cloves of garlic;
- 30 g shallots;
- 0.5 tsp ground red pepper;
- 1 tsp each ground coriander and black pepper;
- 1 tbsp. salt and chopped oregano;
- 2 tbsp. chopped herbs thyme and rosemary.
When buying a leg of lamb, pay attention to the colors of the meat and fat, they should be pink and pale beige, respectively.
Grind the garlic and spices with salt and herbs in a mortar or blender. Rub a large piece (leg) of lamb with this mixture, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. Finely chop the shallots, cover with pomegranate juice and vegetable oil and marinate the meat in this sauce for another 12 hours, then pat dry with a paper towel and bake.
