Many Uzbek recipes have centuries-old history, and the process of preparing food is accompanied with various rituals, which have reached our days. All specific peculiarities of Uzbek food have been forming for centuries.
National Uzbek food is the separate layer of culture of Uzbek people. Unlike their nomadic neighbors, Uzbek people always were a settled nation, which cultivated agriculture and cattle-raising. At their fertile valleys Uzbek people raised vegetables, fruits and cereals; they bred cattle, which were the source of meat, the abundance of which can be seen in most dishes. Undoubtedly, Uzbek food imbibed some culinary traditions of Turkic, Kazakh, Uigur, Tajik, Tatar, Mongolian and other neighboring nations, settled on the territory of Central Asia.
What is Shashlik?
Shashlik or is a form of Shish kebab popular in Eastern and Central Europe (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary), the Baltic region in Northern Europe (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), Central Asia, Afghanistan, India, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh and other places.
Shashlik (meaning skewered meat) was originally made of lamb. Nowadays it is also made of pork or beef depending on local preferences and religious observances. The skewers are either threaded with meat only, or with alternating pieces of meat, fat, and vegetables, such as bell pepper, onion, mushroom and tomato.
The word “shish” means skewer. The word “shishlik” is literally translated as “skewerable”. Even though the word “shashlyk” was borrowed from the Crimean Tatars by the Cossacks as early as the 16th century, kebabs did not reach Moscow until the late 19th century. From then on, their popularity spread rapidly; by the 1910s they were a staple in St Petersburg restaurants and by the 1920s they were already a pervasive street food all over urban Russia.
While it is not unusual to see shashlik today listed on the menu of restaurants, it is more commonly sold in the form of fast-food by street vendors who roast the skewers over wood, charcoal, or coal. It is also cooked in outdoor environments during social gatherings, similarly to barbecue in English-speaking countries.
In Iranian cuisine, meat for shashlik (as opposed to other forms of shish kebab) is usually in form of large chunks of meat, while elsewhere the form of medium-size meat cubes is maintained making it similar to brochette. The meat is marinated overnight in a high-acidity marinade like vinegar, dry wine or sour fruit/vegetable juice with the addition of onions, herbs and spices. Shashlik is usually cooked on a grill called a mangal.
Shashlik, or shashlyk, (Russian: шашлык) is essential picnic food in the countries of the former USSR. Succulent lamb is marinated simply, then skewered and cooked until meltingly tender on an outdoor grill. The word comes from the Turkish “shish” as in shish kebabs. Shashlik is known as mtsvadi in Georgia.
Shashlik is a variety of skewered meat commonly eaten Russian and most other former Soviet states. It is traditionally prepared on a “mangal,” a box like fire pit, using charcoal or wood. The meat is usually beef, pork, or lamb and is marinated in acidic marinade overnight. These would be commonly prepared by street vendors or for parties and picnics.
The meat is marinated, traditionally overnight, before it is taken to the grill. Some original recipes use vinegar, onions and other spices, including hot pepper flakes or dried herbs. There are as many recipes that use vinegar as there are recipes that stringently avoid it because of the sour flavor or the slight drying of the meat that it can cause. Recipes that do not use vinegar often use lemon juice, white wine or no liquid at all on the meat. Some recipes just call for salting the meat, mixing it with chopped onions or shallots and then leaving it to marinate in the onions overnight to impart their flavor and allow the naturally exuded chemicals to tenderize the meat.
Marinated shashlik is attached to skewers and afterward set over a mangal. The mangal is a long, trough-like metal barbecue with straight sides and a generally thin opening at the top. The coals are permitted to burn until they are seething and no blazes are left out. The sticks are set over the coals, with the top and base of the sticks laying on the top edges of the flame broil. The meat gradually cooks along these lines until it is finished.
This specific formula is Uzbek in beginning and is extremely basic in contrast with some different formulas. Similarly as with all the diverse barbeque methods and formulas in the US, there are a million and one methods for make shashlik and numerous individuals take pride in their specific techniques.
This – a heavenly dish, as well as an occasion to relax and unwind, go to the country or to the nation with companions or relatives. Skewer – is not just a flavorful dish (on the off chance that it is legitimately cooked!) but also a way of life the image of the relationship between people, a way to relax, escape from worries.
All shashlik begins by choosing the type of meat. Lamb is one of the most used meats for the dish, partly because some countries in the region have populations that follow halal or kosher diets. Pork and beef also are used and, less commonly, chicken or fish such as sturgeon. The meat is marinated before being cooked and then it is cooked slowly, so nearly any cut of meat can be used. Many areas have their individual favorites.
Below are mouthwatering recipes for Shashlik made with mutton. It can also be made from chicken meat or lamb meat if desired.
Shashlik of mutton
1 kg of mutton,
200 g of lard,
1 teaspoon of salt,
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds,
2 teaspoons of coriander (cilantro seeds),
1 teaspoon of black or red pepper,
2 tbsp of vinegar.
The flesh of mutton and lard of tail should be cut into slices of 15-15g, add salt, pepper, coriander and chopped onion. Drizzle with vine vinegar. Mix it well. For better marinated mutton, put it in an enamel bowl, press it with plate and put on the plate a heavy cargo, cover it with gauze and put it in a cold place for a few hours (from 4-24).
Then strung on skewers through 6 pieces, the last piece is of lard. Fry it over burning coals, at first on the one side, then on another side to release the juice and a golden brown color. For evenly frying the meat wave a fan from time to time to increase the heat. If the fat lard runs off and forms a flame, sprinkle coals with water mixed with white vinegar.
Before serving, put shashlik into lagan (big plate). Garnish with white onion rings.
Shashlik of chicken legs
Prepared chicken legs cut into 2-3 pieces. Prepare the marinade of one lemon juice, cut onion rings, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Marinate the meat about an hour. Marinated pieces of chicken legs strung on skewers, pushing them with marinated onions, sliced tomatoes and aubergines. Fry it on the grill, turning the skewers during roasting. It is good to serve shashlik with chopped garlic green feathers.
Shashlik of liver
Beef liver or lamb – 500g,
175g of fat raw,
2g of red pepper,
10g of salt,
50g of green onion.
Prepared (without films) liver cut into pieces with weight 10-12g, cut 5-10g of fat, add salt, pepper, then strung it on skewers and grill over coals.
Before serving garnish it with chopped green onions.
Beef or mutton – 350g
Green onion 50g
Red pepper, cumin, salt.
Prepared meat put it into the meat grinder with added crude onion, red pepper and cumin. Add salt, mix it well and put it to the cold place for 2-3 hours for marinating. Make balls from marinated meat with 4 pieces per person, strung on skewers mixed with fat lard, and then fry it on the grill for 10-15 minutes. Then serve it with chopped green onion.
Shashlik is usually made with lamb, but you can try beef, pork or chicken if you like. There is even such a thing as sturgeon shashlik! Instead of lemon juice, some cooks use vinegar or a dry white wine. Others eliminate the acidic element altogether.
One tradition is to take the finished meat and remove each chunk from its skewer by holding it between pieces of bread. The bread and the meat are put into a large bowl or pot and then covered, shaken and allowed to rest for a few minutes so the flavors and juices from the meat penetrate the bread. The shashlik is then served on a plate, sometimes with vegetables that have been cooked in a similar fashion on separate skewers.