Shashlik

Russian Shashlik (Lamb Kebabs)

Cubes of lamb marinated in onion, vinegar, garlic and spices, then grilled over hot coals and served with flatbread, raw onion and herbs. A backyard grill or grill pan works well if you don't have a mangal.

Prep

30 min

Cook

20 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1000 g (2¼ lb) lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 4 cm (1½ in) cubes, pork shoulder or beef chuck can be substituted
• •5 whole medium onions, 3 finely grated for the marinade, 2 thinly sliced for serving
• •60 ml (¼ cup) white wine vinegar, dry white wine or apple cider vinegar works
• •60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil, or sunflower oil
• •4 cloves garlic, minced
• •3 whole bay leaves, crumbled
• •2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• •2 tsp salt
• •1 tsp ground coriander, optional, common in many regional versions
• •1 pinch ground red pepper or cayenne, optional
• •8 whole metal skewers or soaked wooden skewers, soak wooden skewers in water 30 minutes
• •4 whole flatbreads (lavash or pita), for serving
• •1 bunch fresh cilantro and/or flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Steps

1. 1 Place the grated onion in a bowl and squeeze out its juice over the lamb. Add the vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, crumbled bay leaves, black pepper, salt, coriander and red pepper. Mix well.
2. 2 Add the lamb cubes and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably 8–12 hours. Turn the meat once or twice during marinating. Do not marinate longer than 24 hours, as the vinegar will start to break down the texture.
3. 3 Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling to take the chill off. Thread the cubes onto skewers, leaving a small gap between pieces so heat can circulate.
4. 4 Prepare a charcoal grill (mangal) or preheat a gas grill or grill pan to high heat. If using a grill pan, no oil is needed on the surface.
5. 5 Grill the skewers, turning every 2–3 minutes, for 8–12 minutes total, until the lamb is browned and charred in spots and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach at least 63°C (145°F) for medium, or 71°C (160°F) if you prefer it well done. Rest the skewers for 3 minutes before serving.
6. 6 To serve, lay the flatbread on a platter, top with the sliced raw onion and fresh herbs, and slide the lamb off the skewers onto the bread. Serve immediately.