Shashlyk (ัะฐัะปัะบ) is considered to be one of the very first dishes humans invented and most likely hails from the place the first modern human likely appeared โ the area covering Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and the Caucasus.
How โShashlykโ Got Its Name
(ะะพัะตะผั ะพะฝ ัะฐะบ ะฝะฐะทัะฒะฐะตััั?)
The word โัะฐัะปัะบโ was adopted into Russian in the 18th century. It may have come from Crimean Tartar. In that language โัััโ means โpieceโ and โัััะปัะบโ means โin pieces.โ
However, it may also have come from Turkish where โัััโ is a skewer and โัััะปัะบโ is something on the skewer.
Interestingly, both languages are related to Persian, from where English adopted the phrase โshish kabab.โ From Persian, this translates to โpieces of roasted meat.โ
Shashlyk was eaten in Russia before the 18th century, but was most often called โะฒะตัััะฝะพะต ะผััะพโ which basically means โrotated meatโ and was called so because it was usually roasted โะฝะฐ ะฒะตััะตะปะตโ (on a spit). Today, shashlykย is most often cooked on skewers, which Russians call โัะฐะผะฟััั.โ
There is evidence to suggest that โัะฐะผะฟััโ is related to the word โัะพะผะฟะพะป,โ or โramrod,โ as that is what soldiers would often use as skewers to cook their meat in the field.
How and When to Eat Shashlyk
(ะะฐะบ ะฟัะฐะฒะธะปัะฝะพ ะตััั ัะฐัะปัะบ?)
Shashlyk is most traditionally made from lamb. The best cuts to use are ะฝะพะณะฐ โะฑะฐัะฐะฝะฐโ (leg of lamb), โะฟะตัะตะฝัโ (liver), and โะฟะพัะบะฐโ (kidney). โะะพะฒัะถัั ะฒััะตะทะบะฐโ (beef tenderloin) and โัะตะปััะธะฝะฐโ (veal) are also considered traditional. However, today shashlyk is most often made from โัะฒะธะฝะธะฝะฐโ (pork), probably because it is naturally โัะพัะฝะฐัโ (juicy) and relatively โะฝะตะดะพัะพะณะฐัโ (inexpensive).
Shashlyk is a national tradition in Russia and its cooks can be as passionate as barbequers in the US.
Shashlyk is occasionally made from more exotic meats such as โะฟัะธัะฐโ (poultry) or โััะฑะฐโ (fish). To better enhance the flavor, โะปัะบโ (onions), โะฟะพะผะธะดะพััโ (tomatoes), โะฑะฐะบะปะฐะถะฐะฝัโ (eggplants), and/or โะณัะธะฑัโ (mushrooms) are sometimes cooked on the skewers with the meat.
For many people in Russia, shashlyk is not just a dish, but an event. Shashlykย is best prepared and eaten โะฝะฐ ัะปะธัะตโ (outside) or โะฝะฐ ะฟัะธัะพะดะตโ (outdoors, such as when camping) with family and friends and especially on occasions such as birthdays or holidays. It is usually prepared by men who, as a rule, are reluctant to entrust the important process to women. While the shashlyk is being cooked, those gathered talk, joke, and wait for it as the โgrand finale.โ Usually there is bread and โัะฐะปะฐััโ (salads) as well, usually prepared by the women. The meal proceeds slowly with toasts and conversation that can last well into the night.
Drinking a lot of alcohol with shashlyk is not recommended; it is best with โะฝะตะผะฝะพะณะพ ััั ะพะณะพ ะธะปะธ ะฟะพะปัััั ะพะณะพ ะฒะธะฝะฐโ (a little dry or semidry wine) or โะฝะตะผะฝะพะณะพ ะฒะพะดะบะธโ (a little vodka). โะะธะฒะพโ (beer) is not recommended by aficionados as it can overpower the taste of the shashlyk. A lot of vodka is also not recommended, as โะฟะพัะปะต ััะพะณะพ, ะฝะธะบัะพ ะฝะธัะตะณะพ ะฝะต ััะฒััะฒัะตัโ (after that, nobody feels anything).
How to Prepare Shashlyk
(ะะฐะบ ะฟัะฐะฒะธะปัะฝะพ ะณะพัะพะฒะธัั ัะฐัะปัะบ?)
The meat should be โัะฒะตะถะตะตโ (fresh), never โะทะฐะผะพัะพะถะตะฝะฝะพะตโ (frozen). Ideally, the meat should still be โะฝะฐ ะบะพััะธโ (on the bone). โะจะตะนะบะฐโ (neck meat), โัะตะฑัะฐโ (ribs), and โะบะพัะตะนะบะฐโ (brisket) are generally good choices.
For beginning Shashlyk makers, try neck meat or โะบััะธัะฐโ(chicken). Both of these are fairly forgiving, cook quickly and generally stay tender.
Cut the meat into cubes of about one to two inches. โะััะพ ะฝัะถะฝะพ ะผะฐัะธะฝะพะฒะฐััโ (the meat needs to be marinated) โะพั ะดะฒัั ัะฐัะพะฒ ะดะพ ัััะพะบโ (for two to 24 hours).
First, โะฟะตัะตััะฟะฐัั ะผััะพ ะบััะฟะฝะพะน ัะพะปััโ (sprinkle the meat with coarse salt). This will absorb the excess juices and add flavor. Now, โะฟะตัะตััะฟะฐัั ะบััะฟะฝัะผะธ ัะฐะทะผัััะผะธ ะณะพัะพัะบะฐะผะธ ะฟะตััะฐโ (sprinkle the meat with coarsely ground pepper), and then finally add onion slices. If the meat is fresh, this will suffice for the โะผะฐัะธะฝะฐะดโ (marinade).
You can also then add almost any โะบะธัะปัะต ะถะธะดะบะพััะธโ (acidic liquids) as additional marinade. โะะธะฝะพโ (wine), โะปะธะผะพะฝะฝัะน ัะพะบโ (lemon juice), โะณัะฐะฝะฐัะพะฒัะน ัะพะบโ (pomegranate juice), and โะบะธัะปะพะต ะผะพะปะพะบะพโ (sour milk) are some good choices.
Never marinate in an aluminum pot: the aluminum oxide the meat absorbs from the pot can be toxic.
Shashlyk should be cooked on a fire made from โะปะธััะฒะตะฝะฝัั ะฟะพัะพะด ะดะตัะตะฒัะตะฒโ (hardwood). โะะธะฝะพะณัะฐะดะฝัะต ะปะพะทัโ (grapevines) can also be burned to make excellent shashlyk. Much of the street shashlyk in Russia is cooked over โัะณะพะปัโ (coal โ not charcoal), which is also delicious.
There should be no fire under the meat, only white-hot embers. Allow the fire to burn through the fuel, then stir the embers to evenly spread them (and the heat). Now, place the meat above the heat, at a distance of about six inches.
Rotate the skewers frequently, but keep them close together so that the meat traps the smoke underneath.
Letโs Cook!
(ะะฐะฒะฐะน ะฟัะธะณะพัะพะฒะธะผ!)
See below for a free recipe for shashlyk. See also the free videos online. If you are interested in cooking from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and other places in Eurasia, make sure to see our other resources! You might also be interested in the following specialized cookbooks weโve enjoyed:
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ะจะฐัะปัะบ ะบะปะฐััะธัะตัะบะธะน | Classic Shashlyk |
ะะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั
ะัะธะณะพัะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต
|
Ingredients
Preparation
*tkemali sauce is a traditional sauce from Georgia made with cherry plums, pepper, and spices. If you canโt find any, spicy ketchup can also be used. |
ะจะฐัะปัะบ ะธะท ะบััะธัั ั ะพััััะผ ัะพััะพะผ | Chicken Shashlyk with Spicy Sauce |
ะะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั
ะัะธะณะพัะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต
|
Ingredients
Preparation
*Adjika is a traditional Georgian sauce made with tomatoes, peppers, and spices. If you canโt locate any, try Frankโs Red Hot or a smooth salsa. |
Our Favorite Shashlyk Videos
An excellent way to make shashlyk โ from an English-speaking woman from Latvia.
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This Persian-style shashlyk goes a bit more exotic on the spicesโฆ
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Galileo, a Russian popular science show, investigates the science of making good shashlyk.
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