You can choose the most excellent meat, marinate it efficiently, but if you make at least 1-2 mistakes out of ten when frying it on the grill, you will end up with kebab that experts will not call excellent.
Cutting meat into shish kebab into too large pieces
Large meat does not cook well or dries out because it sits over the coals for a long time, losing its juices. But small pieces are also undesirable, because the meat in them dries out quickly. For uniform and complete roasting, cut the meat into pieces 5 by 5 cm or weighing 40-50 grams. It is desirable that the pieces are the same size. This way they will retain their juiciness and tenderness to the end. Also, you won’t get high-quality kebab from shapeless pieces.
Place the pieces of meat on the skewer too tightly
In this case, the pieces of meat will stick to each other and a lot of juice will be lost when they are removed from the skewers. Leave gaps between the pieces of meat so that they cook evenly and are easily removed from the skewer. It is important to string the pieces in the center to ensure they are securely attached to the skewer during the entire frying process. Shapeless pieces are not suitable, because the hanging parts of the meat will burn and scroll on the skewer. As a result, the meat will be partly raw and partly undercooked.We place the skewers on the grill more tightly so that less oxygen reaches the coals and prevents them from igniting.
Using low-quality firewood for cooking barbecue
Not all firewood is suitable for cooking barbecue. Thus, pine containing resin, when burned, forms soot, which gives the meat a specific taste. It also burns quickly, leaving few coals. The wood of fruit trees will imbue the kebab with a light smoky aroma, which not everyone may like. It is best to use birch. Its coals are dense, burn slowly and produce abundant and long-lasting heat. You can also use purchased birch charcoal.
Roasting meat over a fire rather than over coals when cooking barbecue
If you fry meat over a fire, its outer layer quickly burns, but the inside remains almost raw. Since the temperature of the coal is higher than the temperature of the fire, it is better to fry meat over coals. Moreover, the size of each coal in the grill should be approximately the same, so before placing skewers with skewered meat, large pieces of coal need to be chopped and mixed. The entire mass of coal in the grill should be covered with gray ash on the outside and scarlet on the inside. Black islands and fire pits are not allowed. Each coal should have a maximum temperature, and the layer of coal throughout the grill should be at the same level. Before you start frying the meat, you need to blow off all the ash from the coals with a fan, otherwise it will settle on the kebabs.
Lack of sufficient heat when cooking barbecue
If you do not maintain proper heat in the grill and do not monitor the condition of the coal, then its temperature will drop and the meat will be stewed instead of frying. It will become tough due to moisture evaporation, and the kebab will not be juicy.The temperature of the coal must be maintained constantly high from the beginning to the end of frying the kebab. To do this, it needs to be periodically inflated with a fan. The best indicator of good heat is the constant smoke and sizzle of the meat juices. As the coal burns, you need to add the same portion, which should always be on hand.
The presence of fire above the coals during the process of frying kebabs
At the high temperature of the coal, the fat on the surface of the meat melts and drips onto the coals. At the same time, many people douse areas with fire with water from a bottle. As a result, the coals go out and stop emitting heat. The same thing happens when you pour marinade over meat on skewers. In order to maintain the heat, you should remove the skewers with meat, turn over the coals and return the kebabs to their place.
Leaving coals on the grill and meat on skewers in a static state
To cook the meat evenly and retain the juices in it, you need to turn it over all the time, ensuring that the temperature in each piece of meat is the same. This way it will cook faster and better. After placing the meat on the grill, let it set a little. After 1-2 minutes, turn it over to the other side and do so all the time. As a result, meat fibers clog the juices. Next, we just increase the temperature in each piece. Properly selected meat in good heat will cook in 12-15 minutes and will not be raw.
Incorrect placement of meat on skewers above the surface of the coals in the grill
Cooking shish kebab involves frying the meat rather than smoking it. Therefore, too large a distance from the meat to the coals does not provide the required temperature for frying. It is too small to increase it in each piece of meat in a short time. The meat inside will remain cold and undercooked. The most optimal distance is 10-15 cm.If it is less, the kebab will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.
Poking or scoring each piece of meat with a knife to assess doneness
The readiness of the kebab cannot be checked by poking or cutting each piece with a knife directly on the grill, as this will cause the meat to lose its juiciness. It is enough to remove 1 piece from the skewer and cut it in half. If clear juice flows out, the meat is ready. When there is no juice, it is overexposed and overdried. When the juice turns red, continue frying. But if the kebab is made from pork, then there is no medium degree of roasting, like beef or lamb. Pork has only one degree of doneness – final. In general, each type of meat has its own temperature (in degrees Celsius) for absolute readiness:
- lamb – 52-58;
- beef – 52-68;
- pork – 60-75;
- chicken – 74-79.
No 7-10 minute waiting period from the moment the kebab is ready until serving
Shish kebab is not a dish that should be consumed in the heat of the moment. After removing it from the heat, you need to let the meat sit for a while so that the meat fibers straighten out and allow the juice to spread evenly over all the pieces. After resting for 7-10 minutes, the meat becomes softer and juicier.
