You should not spend money on expensive exotic fruits to marinate meat for barbecue with their help. The most common black tea has all the necessary acids and enzymes to soften meat fibers.
Today, marinades for meat intended for barbecue cooking are innumerable. Acids (acetic, malic, citric) or acidic fruits (lemon, kiwi, pineapple, papaya) are mainly used, because they contain enzymes that help to soften meat. However, the simplest and cheapest pickling method is regular black leaf tea. The effective destruction of muscle fibers of meat with the help of a strongly brewed tea leaf is explained by the fact that the chemical compounds of this drink are estimated at three hundred, among which there are also organic acids. In addition, dry tea leaves are also produced by oxidation up to 80%.
Everyone can choose a favorite sort of tea for pickling at his discretion, both loose and granulated. It is good if the brewed tea is tart enough, but without bitterness. As a rule, 50 g of tea leaves are taken per liter of boiling water. It is necessary to brew enough tea so that the meat prepared for barbecue is completely covered with marinade. 3-4 kg of meat will require 2-2.5 liters. The tea marinade is prepared before cutting the meat into portions, because it still needs to cool down to room temperature.
Pork, lamb, or young beef is cut into pieces weighing 40-50 g, sprinkled with salt, mixed with onion, cut into half rings (2-3 medium onions per 1 kg of meat), thoroughly mixed and poured with strained tea. However, not every culinary specialist considers it necessary to add salt immediately, some salt and add spices after the tea marinade is drained. I must say that this will not affect the taste of the future kebab in any way.
Ground coriander can be used as a spice, although the tea itself plays the same role. In the cuisine of China and Burma, dry tea is ground to a powder and used in a mixture with salt and garlic as a seasoning for various meat dishes. Therefore, the simultaneous use of salt and spices in tea leaves is quite justified. But just pouring the prepared marinade on the meat is not enough, you need to mash it well with your hands. After that, you can cover the container with meat with a lid and put it in a cool place (refrigerator, balcony, cellar) for 4 hours.
You can make a barbecue preparation much earlier than 4 hours for frying. The advantage of tea marinade is precisely that the meat in it does not fall apart into fibers, as it happens under prolonged exposure to kiwi or pineapple. Because it will be pickled night or day, it won't get any worse. On the contrary, the kebab will turn out to be tender and juicy. After the required time has passed, the pieces of meat should be removed from the marinade, squeezed lightly in hand and strung on skewers. Such a shish kebab will be prepared in 20-30 minutes.
During this time, it is good to cut onions into half rings or rings and place them in a vinegar marinade (1 glass of water: 0.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp vinegar), then serve it with a kebab. Experts say that this is the surest addition to the kebab, and not a mixture of mayonnaise with ketchup.
