How to properly marinate meat for barbecue

How to properly store marinated kebab

In order for the marinated kebab to be stored as long as possible and for the finished dish to be tasty, it is important to choose the right meat.

How to choose the right meat for charcoal grilling

The freshness of the product to be pickled affects its shelf life . Choose chilled rather than frozen meat. The surface of the product should not be dry or chapped. A product sprayed with water on the counter may be stale, and it is also not recommended to buy it.

Pay attention to the color, which differs between different types of meat.:

beef flesh - red;
lamb meat - bright red;
pork and veal flesh is light pink.

The lighter the meat, the younger the animal; in addition, the color and its saturation indicate the living conditions and diet of the animal.

The smell of fresh meat suitable for marinating should not be pungent . This product smells faintly, without mustiness or acidity.

If you press on a fresh piece of future kebab, there will be no dents left on it . The resulting dimple indicates that the product has been pumped with water or “syringed” to increase weight. The fibers of the product must be dense and elastic.

Interesting things on the site:
Shelf life of frozen minced meat in the freezer
How long can semi-finished meat products be stored?

Storage rules

Store meat for grilling on coals for no more than three days at a temperature of +2...+4°C . The lower the temperature, the longer the shelf life of the product. It is recommended to freeze the pickled product.

At room temperature up to +26°C, meat marinates faster than in the cold . It is stored in the room for up to 24 hours. The container with the product must be sealed. A box or jar with a lid held in place by a latch is suitable.

Interesting. Previously, kebab in Russia was called “spinned meat” because it was turned on a spit during cooking. In the 16th-17th centuries, the list of “Royal dishes” mentioned “spun” hares, chickens and ducks. The homeland of this product is considered to be the Caucasus and the countries of the East: Iran, Iraq, Lebanon. The word “kebab” is borrowed from the Crimean Tatars: “shish” is translated as “spit”, and “shishlyk” means spinning on a spit.

Outside, before cooking, the product is stored in the shade for up to four hours . It is recommended to use a thermal bag during transportation, where it will remain fresh for up to eight hours.

Shish kebab that has already been purchased marinated is stored for 24 hours . It is advised to fry it immediately after purchase, since it is not known how long ago it was marinated.

The situation is somewhat different with a product in a vacuum . Its storage conditions are marked on the packaging. Traditionally, refrigerated under vacuum, the product has a shelf life of up to seven days.

The table details the storage conditions for marinated meat for barbecue .

Where is it stored?	Shelf life
Fridge	no more than 1-3 days
Freezer	up to three months
Room	no more than 24 hours from the moment of fermentation
Street at temperatures above +18°C	no more than 2-4 hours

It is recommended to store marinated meat in glass containers : in a jar or pot with a lid. Enameled dishes used to store pickled product must be free of chips. Ceramic or stainless steel containers are also suitable. It is better not to use iron utensils - the metal reacts with acid and spoils the taste of the kebab.

Revealing the secrets of quick marinating pork

Many kebab lovers are sure that pork needs to be marinated for as long as possible, and the speed of this process will not have the best effect on the quality of the dish. This is wrong. Soaking meat for a long time (a day or even more) leads to the release of all the juices from the pork, which negatively affects its taste and juiciness.

Here are the main secrets with which you can marinate pork in a matter of hours:

Pork at room temperature will marinate in just one hour, completely absorbing the aromatic sauce. Meat should not be frozen or refrigerated. It is necessary that it thaws completely, in this case the pork will be saturated with seasonings and spices faster. The marinating time for chilled meat doubles, and for frozen meat quadruples.
It is advisable to use “young” pork. This meat itself is softer and more tender, so it marinates much faster.
The pork meat should be cut across the grain. This way it will marinate faster and fry better, it will be soft and tasty. Particular attention should be paid to ensuring that there is a fat layer in each piece.
An acidic marinade has a much faster effect on pork meat. Therefore, as ingredients you should choose products containing acid: fermented milk, lemon juice, dry wine.

How long can marinated pork kebab be stored in the refrigerator?

The shelf life of such meat depends on the type of marinade, the container in which the product is located, as well as on storage temperature and air humidity.

Attention! Meat in marinade is stored only in the refrigerator.

If the marinade contains vinegar, pepper or garlic, which have antibacterial properties, the marinated kebab preparation will be stored longer - up to 2-3 days. Iodized salt and vegetable oil added to the marinade also increase shelf life.

Interesting. In 2002, in Kabardino-Balkaria they prepared a lamb shish kebab 106 m long and weighing more than 100 kg. In 2007, a kebab of turkey meat was made in Krasnoyarsk, the length was 20 m 10 cm. In 2007, in the city of Shymkent, on the 67th anniversary of the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, a kebab of chicken meat, 67 m long, was prepared. On the Don they made a kebab of 700 chickens, 71.2 m long and weighing 152 kg. In 2009, a lamb shish kebab was prepared in Cherkessk from 30 lambs, its length was 120 m.

store meat in a marinade with vinegar and lemon juice for 2-3 days.

If the pieces are in kefir or mayonnaise , they will be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours.

If wine or beer is added to the marinade, the pickling process will speed up and the shelf life will be reduced to 1-2 days. This rule also applies to marinade made from mineral water: gas bubbles quickly make the product soft, but are not able to maintain its freshness for a long time.

How long does it take to marinate shish kebab from different types of meat?

The time it will remain in the marinade depends on which product is initially selected.

Chicken. The breast is quite tough, so it is better to use thighs for barbecue. It is enough to keep them in the marinade for 2 hours.
Turkey. It is also better to take fillet from the thigh. For 1.5 kg, 4-5 hours of marinating is enough.
Beef. If you choose beef, then you need to prepare a special marinade for it, which will soften the product. For example, add red wine or kiwi.
Pork. How long to marinate pork kebab? It is enough to keep it in the marinade for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.

You can use fish for barbecue. But since its flesh is initially soft and tender, you can marinate the fish for about half an hour, no more, although some do not keep it in the marinade at all.

How long do you prefer to marinate meat for barbecue? Share your favorite recipes in the comments.

Is it possible to freeze marinated meat?

For long-term storage of marinated meat, it is recommended to freeze it . This type of product storage is acceptable if the terms and conditions of storage are not violated. After defrosting, kebab will remain tasty and will not lose its beneficial properties.

Shelf life of shish kebab in the freezer

Pork shish kebab will last up to 60 days in the freezer at -18°C . Before freezing meat, remove it from the marinade and place it in zip-top freezer bags; plastic containers that have a lid will also work.

If you freeze commercially prepared and vacuum-packed meat, it will be stored for up to three months. This product does not need to be prepared for freezing by removing it from the marinade. The vacuum bag or bucket is simply placed in the freezer compartment. The main condition for preserving the freshness of the future kebab is low temperature, no higher than -18°C.

Why marinate pork kebab at all?

You need to make the meat softer . The heat treatment is short, we do not beat the meat - all that remains is to chemically break down the fibers. The acids in the marinade are responsible for this.
Kebab, and pork barbecue is no exception, has a definite and expected taste . The marinade base and spices will ensure this. And vegetable oil will be a good “transport” for them.
It is also important to preserve or add the juiciness of the meat: vegetable oil or a recipe for a coating or liquid marinade can help.

Revealing the secrets of quick marinating pork

Boiling water marinade

The key to a good barbecue is the right choice of meat. It's good if it's country pork. If we buy it at Metro, it will also work.

Take 2 kilograms of slightly chilled pork neck. Don't take a spatula. Cut into small portions that will not fall apart. Somewhere around a hundred or fifty grams. It is better to cut across the grain.

Boil water for the marinade in a saucepan. While stirring, add a couple of good pinches of salt, 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper, and sunflower oil.

Take the pork and pour the prepared marinade over it, and don’t forget to stir. Each piece must be thoroughly rinsed with your hands. Hot water and oil seal the fibers and the juices remain in the meat. The kebab will be juicy while frying. Leave the pickled product for three hours in a cool place.

Let's check. Almost all of the liquid was absorbed. Everything marinated perfectly.

We string the pieces onto skewers and send them to the grill. Turn over to ensure even cooking. You can sprinkle a little water. Fry until golden brown.

Lemon juice

One of the traditional marinade recipes for barbecue. Gives the dish a spicy sourness.

Ingredients

100-120 gr. lemon
onion,
seasonings and spices.

Preparation

For 2 kilograms of meat, take about 100-120 grams. lemon. Sliced lemon is mixed with onion cut into half rings.
Meat and seasonings are added to the lemon-onion mixture, everything is thoroughly mixed and put in the refrigerator. Marinating takes 2-3 hours.

How to marinate pork correctly

It is better to buy pork for shish kebab or barbecue from farmers.
Such meat, as a rule, is of higher quality and fresher than on store shelves. To ensure longer shelf life, fillets sold in supermarkets often undergo additional processing and therefore contain fewer nutrients. It is best to marinate meat according to the classic recipe in lemon juice and spices. A mixture of Georgian seasonings is good; they are very aromatic and fragrant.

The meat is washed under cool running water and dried with paper towels. Then cut into small pieces 2-3 cm thick.

Each piece is sprinkled with salt and a mixture of Georgian spices. The seasoned meat is placed in a heap in a pan and sprinkled with lemon juice. Place the container in the refrigerator or cool place for at least 4 hours. To make the meat softer and juicier, it is advisable to leave it to marinate overnight.

If you need to marinate the kebab quickly, you can prepare a marinade based on mineral water. The pork cut into small pieces is sprinkled with seasonings, onions chopped into half rings are added and everything is poured with ice-cold mineral water. After half an hour, the meat can be threaded onto skewers and fried.