The taste of kebab depends on a lot: the type and freshness of the meat, the marinating time and the sauce recipe, the type of wood for the wood chips and the quality of the smoke, the experience of the cook... It is equally important to cut the meat correctly. It would seem, what difficulties might arise with this and what difference does it make how to do it? But, as experts say, it matters. Do all charcoal meat lovers know how to cut meat for barbecue?

Today, almost any meat is used for barbecue: lamb, beef, veal, pork, chicken, turkey, nutria, and so on. In each specific case, recommendations for cutting it may be different. It matters how it will be fried - on skewers or on a grill.

General rules

First, you need to rinse the meat from the tap and let the water drain. Take a large wooden cutting board and rinse it with cold water. It would be good if the board had a special groove for draining meat juice, but if it doesn’t, then any board will do.

Meat, as a rule, is cut across the grain, but in some cases longitudinal cutting is not excluded. If you have difficulty determining the direction of the fibers, the meat should be slightly frozen so that the fibers take the form of thin whitish stripes.

The meat must be cut evenly so that there are no protrusions or hanging pieces that will burn during frying.

It is believed that the ideal shape of the pieces is cone-shaped, but more often they are square or rectangular. It is more important that the pieces are the same size. Small ones turn out a little dry, but large ones may simply not be fried and you will have to wait too long for them to be ready. The best option is medium portions, which are juicy and well-fried. The generally accepted standard for kebabs on skewers is cubes 4x4x4 cm. It is believed that portions of 4-5 cm are fully baked, they have a golden brown crust on top and are very juicy inside.

To cut, you need to have a large and sharp knife. There are special kebab knives on sale, the manufacturers of which promise maximum convenience when cutting meat. The blade should be smooth and free of serrations.

How to cut lamb

It matters what part of the carcass is used.

Lamb ham and loin are cut into pieces weighing approximately 30 grams.

To prepare Karski kebab, you usually take the lumbar or back part, remove all the tendons and coarsely chop it across the grain.

A serving of this kebab usually consists of 1 piece up to 20 cm long.

If you use lamb with bones for barbecue, first of all you need to remove them, and then cut the flesh into such portions that you get 6 pieces on a skewer.

How to cut chicken

As a rule, chicken is cut into breast, wings, thighs, and drumsticks. White meat is usually cut into square cubes about 3 cm in size. The main thing is that the flesh is held on skewers or skewers. Thighs, drumsticks and wings are baked whole on the grill.

How to cut pork

It is better to choose loin or ham. Cut the meat into fairly large rectangular pieces approximately 8 cm long and 5 cm thick.

Pork neck is usually cut into smaller portions - approximately 3x3 cm

How to cut beef

Beef should be cut exclusively across the grain so that it is softer and easier to bite and eat.

Meat that is cooked over coals on a grill is also commonly called shish kebab today. In this case, the pieces can be large, but you should not make them very thick (more than 4 cm), otherwise they will not cook well.

We can conclude that, along with the existing rules, every barbecue lover can cut the meat at his own discretion, the main thing is that the flesh stays on the skewers and he is satisfied with the degree of frying.

Cutting meat is a very important moment in cooking. If you love steaks, kebabs and other meat delicacies, then you need to know how to properly cut and trim different types and varieties of meat. Properly cut and sliced ​​meat will not lose juices during cooking and will retain all its beneficial properties and taste. If you buy a meat carcass or half-carcass, ask the seller to cut it according to the scheme, this will significantly simplify the further use of the meat.

There are not many basic rules for cutting meat. And one of the most important things is preliminary preparation. Both fresh chilled meat and fresh frozen meat, defrosted in the refrigerator, must be removed from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes before cutting and left at room temperature. This measure is necessary to ensure that the moisture is evenly distributed throughout the fibers and the meat takes on a uniform structure.

You can cut meat correctly only with a very sharp knife - long and thin. Cleavers, herb knives, and carving knives are not suitable.

The board for cutting meat should be made of wood - the meat does not slide on such boards, therefore, the risk of injury is minimized.

For cooking in large pieces, meat is almost always cut across the grain. This rule was derived by trial and error of more than one generation of cooks. Meat cut along the grain has a greater chance of losing juices during cooking.

The rules for cutting tenderloin and meat on the bone vary. The tenderloin should be cut into equal pieces of the required thickness, first along the grain and then across it, holding the knife at an angle of 90°. Movements with the knife are only return movements; there is no need to “saw” the meat, as this will cause unevenness to appear on it. Meat on the bone is cut differently: you do not need to immediately separate the meat from the bones. Having placed the meat bone-on on a board, make through diagonal cuts in the flesh from above to the bone, holding the knife at an angle of 45°.

The thickness of the pieces of meat depends on their purpose. It is strictly important to follow the rules of cutting meat if you are preparing steaks, roast beef, baking boiled pork or preparing other meat dishes that are large pieces of meat without beating.

There are two ways to properly cut meat for cooking roast: in a frying pan - medium-sized pieces. Very small ones can simply dry out during frying. In a wok, for frying over very high heat, the meat is cut into thin strips along the grain. Such dishes take from one to three minutes to cook, so the meat retains its juiciness.

It doesn't matter how you cut the meat for stewing, boiling or baking in foil. The meat layer for the roll is made by cutting along the fibers and unfolding, followed by beating.

How to cut meat? How to properly cut meat for various dishes

Any cook should know how to cut meat correctly and how to cut meat fresh. The meat of any animal is an excellent, nutritious product, rich in beneficial acids and unique animal proteins. But to get tasty dishes, for each cooking method you need to know how to cut meat correctly.
If you don’t know how to cut meat, you can follow the basic rules.

First: only thawed meat is cut, not frozen. After defrosting, or if the meat was simply chilled, it should lie in the air for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the juices will be distributed evenly throughout the meat tissues, the fibers will become limp.

Second: cut meat correctly This can only be done with a sharp long knife. No curly blades or old serrated knives. The best cutting board is one made from natural wood (you don’t want to injure yourself by cutting meat on plastic or glass boards?).

Third: you should almost always cut meat across the grain, only in rare exceptions - along it. There is an opinion that if you cut meat across the grain, the juiciness is lost. But if it is properly processed thermally, then all the juices remain, and the meat turns out to be very tender, even as tough as beef.

There are two fundamentally different methods in slicing, which depend on the product: how to cut boneless meat and how to cut meat into bones. In the first case: you place the piece so that it is convenient to cut along the grain, and orient the knife strictly horizontally at a right angle. You start cutting from a thick piece, maintaining a uniform thickness along the entire strip. You don’t press too hard on the knife and at the same time pull it towards you, gradually cutting through rather than breaking through the product.

Cutting meat correctly on bones you need to do it a little differently. The knife is directed at an angle of 45 degrees, and the flesh is cut from the piece diagonally from the top to the very bone, which should lie on the cutting board (otherwise the piece of meat will slide, you won’t be able to cut even pieces, and it will be very easy to injure yourself with a sharp knife ).

The specific cutting method should depend on what dish is intended to be prepared. If you have plans for the first and second courses, you don’t have to try too hard to separate the bones from the pulp. The bones with a small amount of meat become the basis of a rich broth. Almost everyone knows how to cut meat for main courses. For frying, it is not recommended to make very thin pieces (if you cut it too thin, the meat will lose all its juices during cooking).

If you are frying meat that is not too soft and young, without beating it, feel free to cut it across the grain, this way you will achieve softness and tenderness. For stewing, cutting into equal cubes is suitable.

For small appetizers (canapés, light sandwiches with meat, etc.), the meat will again have to be cut across the grain, since the appetizer should be easy to chew with any type of meat used, be it juicy chicken, tender pork or tasty beef. For rolls and stuffing, cutting only along the grain is suitable. For real beefsteaks and steaks, you need to cut the meat across the grain and nothing else.

How to properly cut beef

The most difficult question for housewives is if they get their hands on a separate part of the carcass (for example, a whole leg, or a large piece of ribs) rather than a ready-made store-bought cut.

Way, how to cut beef, is not too different from cutting all other types of meat. Having bought half a carcass or even a whole one, you need to properly distribute the meat for all dishes. The classic way to cut beef involves dividing it into parts such as shoulder, back, sirloin, tenderloin, brisket, shank.

For roast beef, the back of the ribs is indispensable; the shoulder blade makes excellent dishes with minced meat and excellent cutlets. To prepare a steak or bake, use the sirloin, the tenderloin is suitable for any cooking method, but tastes good only with seasonings and sauce.

Without brisket, you won’t get the most delicious soup; be sure to buy this meat, although it is considered tough, stringy and not very dietary. From the point of view of obtaining the necessary amino acids, proteins and nutrients in the soup, brisket will become simply irreplaceable.

The shank is only suitable for making jellied meats and for long stewing, because it is tough meat, but it contains valuable bones, which, when cooked for a long time, will give the calcium a person needs. Don’t try to buy only the pulp, because bones and cartilage are some of the most valuable in beef.

In markets and stores they know how to cut beef or any other meat correctly so that not a single bone is left in the waste, but meat cut into pieces and individual bones is not always the best solution for homemade dishes.

How to properly cut pork

Pork is less dietary meat, but just as necessary for the body as beef. Many dishes taste much better when prepared with pork rather than beef or chicken. The best meat cut from the carcass is called tenderloin. This is soft, juicy, fatty meat without a single bone. You can make anything from it except a rich soup (it will be too fatty and will have a bad effect on your well-being, because it is very hard on the liver, kidneys and the entire gastrointestinal tract).

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Simple recipes, kitchen secrets, sports nutrition and exercises

Any cook should know how to cut meat correctly and how to cut meat fresh. The meat of any animal is an excellent, nutritious product, rich in beneficial acids and unique animal proteins. But to get tasty dishes, for each cooking method you need to know how to cut meat correctly.

If you don’t know how to cut meat, you can follow the basic rules.

First: only thawed meat is cut, not frozen. After defrosting, or if the meat was simply chilled, it should lie in the air for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the juices will be distributed evenly throughout the meat tissues, the fibers will become limp.

Second: cut meat correctly This can only be done with a sharp long knife. No curly blades or old serrated knives. The best cutting board is one made from natural wood (you don’t want to injure yourself by cutting meat on plastic or glass boards?).

Third: you should almost always cut meat across the grain, only in rare exceptions - along it. There is an opinion that if you cut meat across the grain, the juiciness is lost. But if it is properly processed thermally, then all the juices remain, and the meat turns out to be very tender, even as tough as beef.

There are two fundamentally different methods in slicing, which depend on the product: how to cut boneless meat and how to cut meat into bones. In the first case: you place the piece so that it is convenient to cut along the grain, and orient the knife strictly horizontally at a right angle. You start cutting from a thick piece, maintaining a uniform thickness along the entire strip. You don’t press too hard on the knife and at the same time pull it towards you, gradually cutting through rather than breaking through the product.

Cutting meat correctly on bones you need to do it a little differently. The knife is directed at an angle of 45 degrees, and the flesh is cut from the piece diagonally from the top to the very bone, which should lie on the cutting board (otherwise the piece of meat will slide, you won’t be able to cut even pieces, and it will be very easy to injure yourself with a sharp knife ).

The specific cutting method should depend on what dish is intended to be prepared. If you have plans for the first and second courses, you don’t have to try too hard to separate the bones from the pulp. The bones with a small amount of meat become the basis of a rich broth. Almost everyone knows how to cut meat for main courses. For frying, it is not recommended to make very thin pieces (if you cut it too thin, the meat will lose all its juices during cooking).

If you are frying meat that is not too soft and young, without beating it, feel free to cut it across the grain, this way you will achieve softness and tenderness. For stewing, cutting into equal cubes is suitable.

For small appetizers (canapés, light sandwiches with meat, etc.), the meat will again have to be cut across the grain, since the appetizer should be easy to chew with any type of meat used, be it juicy chicken, tender pork or tasty beef. For rolls and stuffing, cutting only along the grain is suitable. For real beefsteaks and steaks, you need to cut the meat across the grain and nothing else.

How to properly cut beef

The most difficult question for housewives is: how to cut meat, if what you get into your hands is not a ready-made store cut, but a separate part of the carcass (for example, a whole leg, or a large piece of ribs).

Way, how to cut beef, is not too different from cutting all other types of meat. Having bought half a carcass or even a whole one, you need to properly distribute the meat for all dishes. The classic way to cut beef involves dividing it into parts such as shoulder, back, sirloin, tenderloin, brisket, shank.

For roast beef, the back of the ribs is indispensable; the shoulder blade makes excellent dishes with minced meat and excellent cutlets. To prepare a steak or bake, use the sirloin, the tenderloin is suitable for any cooking method, but tastes good only with seasonings and sauce.

Without brisket, you won’t get the most delicious soup; be sure to buy this meat, although it is considered tough, stringy and not very dietary. From the point of view of obtaining the necessary amino acids, proteins and nutrients in the soup, brisket will become simply irreplaceable.

The shank is only suitable for making jellied meats and for long stewing, because it is tough meat, but it contains valuable bones, which, when cooked for a long time, will give the calcium a person needs. Don’t try to buy only the pulp, because bones and cartilage are some of the most valuable in beef.

In markets and stores they know how to cut beef or any other meat correctly so that not a single bone is left in the waste, but meat cut into pieces and individual bones is not always the best solution for homemade dishes.

How to properly cut pork

Pork is less dietary meat, but just as necessary for the body as beef. Many dishes taste much better when prepared with pork rather than beef or chicken. The best meat cut from the carcass is called tenderloin. This is soft, juicy, fatty meat without a single bone. You can make anything from it except a rich soup (it will be too fatty and will have a bad effect on your well-being, because it is very hard on the liver, kidneys and the entire gastrointestinal tract).

Another versatile part of the carcass that you should pay attention to when cutting is the brisket. The meat has a very delicate taste, but it is also the fattest. Stewing, baking, barbecuing, cooking sausages, preparing minced meat for cutlets - brisket (peritoneum, as it is also called) is perfect for all this.

The least fatty part of the pork is the loin. It can be with or without ribs. Suitable for cooking roasts and chops. If you want something large and very filling, cooked whole, take a ham. A whole hind leg will be an excellent dinner for a large group of gourmets, and can also be a good supply for the winter. You can try cooking methods such as smoking and drying on this meat.

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The second part of tips for pork shish kebab from the chef of a Moscow restaurant "Argo" by Igor Mamatov.

We have already figured out how to choose meat. It was

The third part will contain tips on how to

How to cut meat for pork kebab

This is where the fun begins; I didn’t even know many of the subtleties.

Along or across

— Kebab meat must be cut across the grain. If you cut it along the fibers, then when you eat, these fibers will be like threads, and you will chew them for a long time. And if you cut it across, there will be a completely different taste, and the meat will be more than 2 times softer.

This is especially important when cutting a piece of neck!

Cutting form

I didn't know this!!!

It is best to cut the pieces not into the cubes we are all used to, but into slices 1-1.5 cm thick across the grain. The meat is better marinated and fried faster and more evenly. If you cut it into the usual cubes, the marinade will penetrate only into the outer layers. And when frying, the outer layer will already dry out, but the meat inside will still be raw. Although many people think that larger pieces will be juicier.

We’ll talk about how to string these pieces onto skewers a little later.

Meat size for pork skewers

The optimal piece size is 60 g.

It is clear that you will not take the scales with you every time. Just cut it once, cock it, and then try to repeat these dimensions for the rest of your life.

Igor Mamatov shows how thick and what size a piece should be

If the piece is smaller, it will fry quickly, but there is a danger that you will dry out the kebab; if the piece is larger, then the outside will already be cooked, but the inside will be raw.

Pork marinades

The secret to the perfect marinade

- If you bought the right meat, then you only need onions. Sliced, mashed and mixed with meat. You don't even need salt. We salt the meat already on the skewer before sending it to the grill.

In fact, all marinades from time immemorial were invented in order to hide or correct the shortcomings of meat: either smell or toughness.

If you want to hide the smell of pork, add spices to the onion. Which? The ones you like, there are no comrades here based on taste and color.

If the barbecue meat is tough and dry

— If the meat is tough, then you can add kiwi to the onion.

As for mineral, or more precisely, soda water, it is known that soda makes meat softer - so it can be used.

If your meat is a little dry, you can add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Marinating pork in vinegar, wine, kefir

- If meat sits for a long time in an acidic environment, and this includes vinegar, wine, kefir or any fermented milk products, then it will become tough.

An acidic environment makes meat tough.

Therefore, if you want to make the meat soft, then sprinkle it immediately before sending it to the grill with wine or diluted vinegar, let it sit for a few minutes so that the liquid dries and send it to fry.

Continuation of how to properly fry our pork kebab so that our work in the third part is not lost: