Shashlik — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Cubes of marinated lamb threaded onto long metal skewers with alternating fat pieces, grilled over glowing charcoal until smoky, charred, and irresistibly juicy.

Ingredients

800g lamb leg, cubed into 3cm pieces
200g lamb tail fat, cubed
2 large onions, grated
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
100ml vinegar or lemon juice
Sumac for serving
Sliced onion and herbs for serving

Instructions

1 Toss lamb cubes with grated onion, vinegar, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then marinate for three to four hours.
2 Thread marinated lamb onto long skewers, alternating meat cubes with small pieces of tail fat for basting as they render on the grill.
3 Prepare a charcoal mangal and let coals burn down to glowing white-hot embers with no active flames for even radiant heat.
4 Grill skewers about ten centimeters above the coals, turning every two minutes for a total of eight to ten minutes cooking time.
5 The shashlik is ready when the exterior is deeply charred with crispy edges but the interior remains pink and juicy at the center.
6 Slide the meat off skewers onto a bed of sliced onion and fresh herbs, squeeze lemon and sprinkle sumac generously before serving.

Did You Know?

Uzbek shashlik masters insist on using lamb tail fat between the meat pieces — the rendered fat bastes each cube continuously, creating unmatched juiciness.