Lamb meat is an essential part of the cooking of many Caucasian and Asian peoples. The use of this amino-rich meat is not so popular in the Central European part of our country, but homemade lamb kebabs are a popular delicacy.
The rest of the culinary experiments are frightening criticisms that say that not all lamb meat adapts under the kebab and that not all chefs can preserve the delicate product with the characteristic flavour and aroma. In order for Lamb kebab meat to meet all expectations, it is worth learning at a glance how to identify a quality product.
Lamb kebab: Folk tradition
Mountaineers known for their long lifespan, refer to the use of Lamb recipes in the sense of good health. The meat that seems to be fat has fewer calories than pork and more tender than beef. The representatives of the Caucasus are considered experts in the selection, preparation and portioning of lamb meat for kebab recipes.
It is also not realistic to buy a good lamb for kebabs only for individuals. In fact, a mass product can meet the requirements if a hundred-year production fineness has been established in the farm industry:
- Reproductive goats are neutered;
- the youth of up to 1 1/2 years become meat;
- slaughter is conducted quickly so that the animal has no time to be afraid.
It is difficult to assess the extent to which this latter requirement affects the meat structure, but the Georgian barbecue master believes that this aspect is important. Electricity is increasingly consumed in farms so that the slaughter requirements are met as far as possible.
Which part of the lamb makes a tasty kebab
Another aspect with which you can predict how tasty the lamb will be for the kebab is which part of the body has been selected. The recommendations for this are different in the different nations ‘ national kitchens.
According to the culinary experts, the shoulder is the best part of lamb meat. If you have chosen this piece of lamb meat to be used for shish kebab, you should not give up any piece of fat in the tail: alternately the narrow cubes and the saliva filet provide extra juiciness. Olive-sized cubes are rubbed into an appetizing density and brown outer layer. You will be preparing an excellent independent dish in combination with vegetables.
Rack of lamb is a dream for gourmet cooks: this part of lamb meat for kebab is not particularly suitable, but lovers of grilled meat will appreciate its juiciness and delicacy.
The rare part and the layers on the back of the ribs along the spinal column are considered a rare delicacy at an appropriate price. Such meat does not grow with fat due to constant movement and is not denser because of the low load in this area. These pieces do not have to be roasted for a long time and have a delicate taste.
Determine the type and thickness of the fat film from the part of the lamb where the skewers are made. This membrane is hardly felt in the dorsal part, as it is in the coastal part. And the filets themselves are not very dense.
The tail fat on the back of the lamb is wrapped in a rather dense membrane and its parts can be seen on the grill cube’s surface. The part of the hip is characterized by a low porosity of fat as if it were pressing on the surface of the meat. Each of these hammer species finds its admirer: the fat layer melts with the correct grinding and the tail membrane becomes tender and imperceptible.
How to Choose Kebab Meat for Lamb Skewers
If you choose a lamb with kebab, you should give up a lump of adult meat immediately. The young lamb is the best lamb for the kebab: it can buy a channel or a large portion immediately to be able to determine age more easily.
Additional characters that indicate what type of kebab lamb meat should be chosen are the colour and taste of the meat. The filet should not have a strong smell, and the yellowing of a young animal’s flesh is unusual.
The way to obtain a delicious shashlik lamb from the lamb and the meat you have chosen requires a thorough examination of the proposed product.
- The meat should be pink and yellow-free. Veins – small and tender. The fat layer is thin and even. The dark red colour is a sign of an old animal.
- A layer of wax-like fat should be dense, even and white. Tenderness and yellow-grey tone indicate age.
- An unwashed piece immediately smells. Just cut a small piece of frozen meat, the taste of which is not so brilliant, and light it up: the smell of ammonia will certainly force you to give up the purchase. A quality product resembles a prefabricated Lamb kebab: with a pleasant aroma: it is clear to an inexperienced buyer which meat should be taken.
- A piece of ribs is another way to determine the age when the ribs grow over the course of your life and the gaps between your bones gradually decrease. Lamb’s ribs are fine and flexible.
Lamb meat has no good taste during prolonged heat treatment: this applies to the cooking of the brochettes and to the cooking of the famous traditional lamb-based dish. The recipe is ready to serve once the parts’ fat has stopped flowing. An additional roasting removes the odorous meat juice from the cubes and leads to the formation of a hard crust.
Interestingly, traditional cuisine does not rely on an abundance of spices in traditional cuisine: the piece of lamb with mustard, lemon or maize juice does not preserve the taste or smell of the main product. Gourmets enjoy lamb meat and season the dish with pepper only after serving it.
If you don’t like this particularity, you can add powerful red wine or even vodka to the marinade without worrying. Alcohol makes the characteristic smell imperceptible, and adding fruit trees or vineyards to the braise gives the dish an indescribable flavour and a delicate taste. After tasting, it is understood why lamb meat is considered the best meat for brochettes.
