If you are a connoisseur of meat dishes, then most likely you are a lover of delicious kebabs. Shish kebab is simple, even corny, albeit insanely delicious. We have something interesting for you that diversifies your usual menu - this is a pork chalagach.
Let's take a closer look at this new, unusual analogue of barbecue from Armenian cuisine. We are glad to tell you what kind of a mysterious dish it is, to share the recipe of a pork chalagach in the conditions of an apartment in the oven and on fire.
What is a chalagach?
Chalagach is a kebab of Armenian cuisine. Its main difference from ordinary kebab is meat. If for a simple, fragrant, juicy kebab, they use meat without stones, then for a chalagach you need meat on the rib, that is, the rib part of the pork carcass is a loin. This meat is especially tender and has excellent taste. With proper preparation, the meat is easily removed from the bone. We will definitely tell you how to pickle a pork chalagach so that the meat slides off the ribs.
You don’t need a lot of experience in cooking, so that you get a good chalagach, most importantly, proper preparation, respect for proportions and time. Well then, let's get started.
Cooking Chalagach at Home
And now let's try to cook a chalagach of pork in the oven. Of course, the right recipe requires braziers, but when you really want to feast on it, and there is no way to go outdoors, you have to improvise.
In order to prepare a chalagach according to the recipe of hospitable Armenia, we need the following ingredients:
- 1.5 kg of loin;
- 1.5 oranges;
- 1 head of garlic;
- 2 bunches of greenery;
- vegetable oil;
- salt pepper;
- baking bag.
The secret of the chalagach from pork is hidden in its fragrant marinade and reverent cooking. Let's learn how to marinate pork before frying.
Marinade loin
First of all, we will prepare all the products. Rinse the pork thoroughly under running water, wash off the chips from the bones. Cut the loin so that each piece has a rib. Put the meat in a deep plate.
Next, the marinade is prepared. Peel the garlic and squeeze it on the garlic squeezer to the meat. For chalagach marinade, it is preferable to use marjoram, you can add a little parsley and dill. Fresh marjoram will give pork a special aroma and pleasant piquancy.
Rinse the greens thoroughly, dry and chop as finely as possible. Put greens in a bowl. Squeeze the juice of a whole orange into a separate container and pour them all the meat. Salt the loin and add some pepper.
After pouring the vegetable oil, thoroughly mix the pork, spreading it with a completely special sauce. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it in the refrigerator overnight to thoroughly soak the meat with the aromas of garlic, spices and orange.
BBQ cooking
A chalagach is being prepared from pork on the grill, of course, it can be cooked at home, we will tell how, but we will start with the standard method of frying - on fire.
Put the pickled loin on the barbecue, sprinkle the meat with marinade and fry for 20-25 minutes, periodically turning and sprinkling with marinade or orange juice.
When grilling chalagach on a skewer, stick the meat so that the rib runs parallel with the skewer. As well as regular kebab, dilute it with pickled onions and fresh tomatoes.
In the oven!
In order for the loaf to bake well in the oven, just like on the grill, preheat the oven to 190 degrees. So that the dish does not lose its aroma and taste, and the juice does not evaporate, the pickled pork for the chalagach must be baked in a bag or sleeve for baking. In our recipe we use the package.
Put the pork in a bag, close the edges tightly and put in the oven for exactly an hour. Since we do not have the ability to interfere or turn, as on the grill, get the bag and shake it vigorously.
To brown the meat, the bag must be opened 15 minutes before cooking. And so that it does not dry out, it must be watered with juice. Squeeze another half of the orange and periodically pour them slices of pork.
Your pork chalagach cooked in the oven is ready.
Serving in Armenian
Traditionally served to the table chalagach pork with pita bread, fresh herbs. Fresh vegetable salad or sliced vegetables can be used.
They don’t use any side dish for the chalagach; this is a self-sufficient dish that I don’t want to interrupt with odors and mix tastes. Enjoy delicious, tender meat.
Cooking recommendations
If you want to please yourself, your loved ones and guests with a very tasty, soft, juicy, incredibly gentle chalagach, you will come in handy some tips for making the perfect meat.
First, pickle the meat longer; the longer it costs, the more it is saturated with the marinade. It is advisable to leave the meat overnight, and if the dish is needed in the evening, then pickle it in the early morning.
To make the pulp tender and juicy, you need to be careful when frying. Thus, you need to carefully monitor the meat, turning it on time and sprinkling with marinade. That is why when frying the ideal lamb, coals are used, and not an open fire or grill.
If you are a lover of spices, then here is a list of seasonings that can emphasize the taste of pork in this marinade:
- basil;
- zira;
- caraway;
- cilantro;
- Red pepper.
The amount and presence of spices in general can be varied to your taste, but do not interfere all at once, the spices are able to kill each other, the aroma and taste of meat in general.
Many cut veins of fat. Do not do this, because thanks to them, the meat is juicy. If you replace pork with beef, you will understand what the difference is.
Now you know the recipe for the most delicious chalagach. Be sure to try to cook it at home or in nature, we guarantee that you will like this method of cooking pork.