Russian Onion and Pork Kebabs

Recipe by: Steven Raichlen | from Planet Barbecue!

Cookstr

Course: Main Course

Total Time: Under 4 Hours

Skill Level: Moderate

Cost: Inexpensive

Photo by: Joseph De Leo

Shashlik is to Russia (and the former Soviet Republics) what shish kebab is to Turkey. They even mean the same etymologically: “sword meat”—in other words, meat grilled on a swordlike metal spit. The meat in question here is pork, marinated in grated onion and charred over charcoal. If you ever visit a dacha (weekend villa) in the countryside around Moscow on a weekend, you’ll smell shashlik before you actually see or taste it, for everyone seems to be grilling some in the backyard. Here’s how shashlik is prepared by my friend Nikolai Baratov, editor of BBQ, Russia’s first barbecue magazine. (If you read Russian, or you just want to look at cool pictures, check out Nikolai’s website: bbqmag.ru.)

Yield: Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1½ pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large white onion, peeled and quartered
Russian-style black bread, for serving

You’ll also need:

Long flat metal skewers

Directions

Advance preparation: 2 hours or as long as overnight for marinating the pork.

1. Place the cubes of pork in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salt, coriander, and pepper over them and stir well to coat.

2. Grate the onion over the pork using the large holes of a box grater. You can also finely chop the onion in a food processor and spoon it over the pork. Stir to mix. Tightly cover the bowl with a couple of layers of plastic wrap to keep the onion scent from permeating your refrigerator. Let the pork marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight, stirring it a couple of times so it marinates evenly. The longer the pork marinates, the richer the flavor will be. (As far as most Russians are concerned, you can never have enough onion.)

3. Drain the pork well, discarding the marinade, and thread the pork onto the skewers.

4. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high.

5. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the kebabs on the hot grate and grill the pork until it is sizzling, nicely browned on all sides, and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side, 8 to 12 minutes in all.

6. Using tongs, slide the pieces of pork off the skewers onto plates or a platter. Serve the pork with Russian black bread (grilled if you like).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Nutrients per serving (% daily value)

Nutritional information does not include Russian-style black bread, for serving.

Calories 420kcal (21%)

Calcium 42mg (4%)

Vitamin C 4mg (7%)

Vitamin A 3mcg RAE (0%)

Potassium 584mg

Magnesium 38mg

Protein 30g

Sugar 2g