Plumbing

What to marinate lamb in to make it soft. Marinade for lamb for frying in a pan, baking in the oven and for preparing the most delicious kebab

In our area, lamb is not cooked as often as pork or beef. Therefore, not everyone knows the secrets of its preparation. But meat is special, and with the right preparation, its dishes turn out simply delicious. This article will talk about how best to marinate lamb so that the meat becomes softer and juicier and as a result we get a tasty delicacy.

What to marinate lamb in depends on your taste preferences. Below are several marinade options, and you choose according to your taste.

How to marinate lamb on the bone with kiwi?

Ingredients:

lamb ribs - 1.5 kg;
garlic - 3 cloves;
lemon - 1 pc.;
honey - 2 tbsp. spoons;
kiwi - 4 pcs.;
rosemary - 1 sprig;
shallots - 4 pcs.;
salt, black pepper.

Preparation

In a deep bowl, mix lemon juice, honey, chopped garlic, shallots, kiwi, salt, pepper and rosemary. Place the washed and dried meat in a thick plastic bag and add the marinade there. We tie the bag, shake it so that the mixture is evenly distributed, and put it in the refrigerator for a day. During this time, we turn the bag over a couple of times. After this, take out the meat, dry it with a paper towel and place it on a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 1.5 hours at 170 degrees. During cooking, pour the juices over the meat.

How to marinate lamb for baking?

Ingredients:

leg of lamb weighing 2 kg - 1 pc.;
coarse salt - 1 tbsp. spoon;
Dijon mustard - 1 tbsp. spoon;
spices (Provencal herbs, rosemary, cumin) - 0.5 teaspoon.

Preparation

We cut off excess fat from the meat, remove the film and fat, and chop off unnecessary bones. Grind the spices in a mortar, add salt, mix. Rub the meat with the resulting mixture, then coat it with mustard and put it in the refrigerator to marinate for 3 hours. Heat the oven to 220 degrees, place the lamb in a sleeve and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180 degrees and cook for another half hour. Now we cut the sleeve at the top, pour the juice that has formed over the meat and bake for 30 minutes to get a crust.

How to properly marinate lamb in Caucasian sauce?

Ingredients:

lamb - 1 kg;
onion - 300 g;
lemon juice - 50 ml;
parsley - 50 g;
salt, black pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Chop the onion finely or even three on a grater. Rub the lamb with salt, pepper, sprinkle with onion, chopped parsley, add lemon juice, mix and leave to marinate in the cold for 6 hours.

How to marinate lamb in kefir for frying shish kebab?

Ingredients:

lamb loin - 1 kg;
sugar - 1 teaspoon;
kefir - 200 g;
onions - 3 pcs.;
salt, ground black pepper.

Preparation

Wash the lamb well, then cut it into pieces across the ridge. Salt and pepper each piece. Three onions on a coarse grater, add to the meat and mix. Then add homemade kefir and mix thoroughly again. Cover the dish with the meat and leave for 1 hour at room temperature, and then put it in a cool place for 12 hours. Place the marinated meat on the grill and fry over coals on both sides until cooked.

How to marinate lamb for barbecue?

Ingredients:

- lamb hams - 3 kg;
- tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
- lemons - 2 pcs.;
- sparkling water - 0.5 l;
- onion - 2 pcs.;

rye bread - 300 g;
salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation

Cut the lamb across the grain into small pieces and place in a pan. Cut tomatoes and onions into half rings and add them to the meat. Cut the rye bread into cubes and place in a separate bowl. Squeeze lemon juice on top and pour sparkling water. Spread the mixture into the meat, add salt, pepper and mix. Place the meat in the refrigerator to marinate for 8 hours. And then fry it over hot coals until done.

You can prepare many dishes from lamb, among which shish kebab and pilaf occupy the main place. How to marinate lamb for barbecue, answers can be found in cookbooks, or refer to online resources. There are various ways to marinate meat. Lamb is a product that should not be washed with water; it is better to wipe it with paper towels. Before marinating lamb, you need to cut off the film and remove the tendons. Vodka will help kill the unpleasant smell of meat if the lamb was not young. You should soak the meat in it before working. Cinnamon and pine nuts go well with lamb. Lamb meat loves marinades, so you can experiment. How long to marinate lamb? It is enough for young meat to marinate for about an hour, old meat will need 10-12 hours.

The most common marinade is onion. The onion needs to be peeled, cut into pieces, which are rolled out with a rocking chair, so the vegetable will give a large amount of juice. Combine the onion and its juice with salt, pepper and your favorite meat seasonings. Marinate lamb according to age. You can use a marinade made with red wine. Cilantro, garlic and spices are added to it to taste. The main thing is not to overdo it with the amount of wine, as it can overwhelm the taste of the meat. There is another marinade, for example, take olive oil, mustard, a little vinegar, garlic, rosemary and mint. Mix everything and marinate the meat for several hours. Olive oil and lemon juice go well together in a lamb marinade. Soy sauce combined with crushed garlic will give the meat a piquant taste. Children will love lamb marinated in yoghurt with cumin. You can combine yogurt, garlic and cardamom together.

Spicy lovers will love this marinade - a combination of olive oil, lime juice, oregano, chili pepper and thyme. You can make a vegetable marinade, in which the meat should be kept for at least a day. It is during this time that the vegetables will reveal their flavor, which they will then impart to the meat. It is made from celery root, carrots, onions and garlic. Allspice and peppercorns are also added here. Paprika and marjoram go well together in any marinade. Pomegranate juice and cognac should be combined in a two to one ratio. To make the meat juicy, it is better not to cut off all the fat, but to cook with it. Those who do not like fatty products get rid of them in the finished dish. Lamb is a hearty meat, so it is served with light salads, baked or fresh vegetables and herbs. You can opt for tomatoes, baked peppers, grilled eggplants. Young potatoes with fried onions or rice with barberries go perfectly with lamb.

The lamb itself will be soft and juicy if you choose the right meat. It must be a lamb no older than one year. Lamb meat that is two or three years old is already tougher, so it is soaked for two hours or more. Meat should not be frozen, as it will no longer be elastic. You can store this meat in the refrigerator for a short time before eating. The marinade can extend the shelf life of lamb, but for a maximum of 4-5 days. After marinade, meat can be fried, stewed or baked. You need to fry on both sides, for a few minutes on each. You should be careful that the meat does not burn. The lamb is stewed for half an hour or more in a small amount of water. The main thing is that the water does not boil away; it should be added periodically. But lamb meat should be baked in the oven, which must first be warmed up well. You need to look at the dish periodically so that it does not sit too long and become tough and callous.

Lamb fat solidifies already at 40 degrees, so the meat is eaten hot and washed down with warm drinks. Lamb is not marinated if it is boiled. For cooking, they usually take the neck or sternum; if you need to stew, then use the knuckle or shoulder. But for barbecue, a loin, leg or shoulder is suitable. Mostly lamb ham is fried. Lamb chops are very tasty and juicy. The meat on them must be selected and cut from the sirloin. Lamb gets an unusual taste if it is soaked in grapefruit marinade. Grapefruit will give the meat a sour tint and make the dish soft and tender. If you decide to marinate lamb in beer, then you need to opt for a live product. It is this that will remove the unpleasant odor and make the meat juicy. Some gourmets use kvass as an ingredient for marinade; it also turns out no less tasty than with beer.

Kiwi is an original addition to old lamb. The fruit contains a lot of acid, which will perfectly soften a piece of lamb. Kiwi is also added to other types of meat, but not to chicken, because it will turn out to be minced meat. Kiwi, cut into pieces, is added half an hour before cooking the lamb meat. If you want a new taste and experimentation, you can grate ginger. Mix it with lime juice and soy sauce. Add garlic, allspice and cilantro. Marinate the meat and cook after 6 hours. It will turn out original and tasty. There are many ways thrifty housewives manage to marinate lamb. You can find mint marinade on the Internet. Mint sprigs are combined with white wine and spices to taste. Add garlic and vegetable oil.

The tea marinade will give the lamb a dark golden hue. To prepare, take 50 g of black tea, pour boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. Then the brewed liquid is mixed with lamb and spices are added. The marinade with meat costs at least 3 hours, only then the lamb can be cooked. If you are making a carbonated marinade, it is better to add chopped onions, squeezed garlic and sprigs of dried basil to the prepared mineral water. Mix all this with the meat and marinate for a maximum of 4 hours. When making a marinade for lamb, the ingredients are mixed by hand and rubbed into the meat.

Spring is beginning, and soon sunny, fine days will invite us to spend more time outdoors, in a cheerful company. And in this case, what could be better than ruddy, aromatic kebab? We will tell you some excellent marinade recipes for lamb kebab to make it juicy and tasty.

Secrets of vinegar-based marinade

As you know, lamb is a special meat, quite difficult to process. It can be harsh, stringy, and many consider its smell to be specific. Therefore, it is customary to keep lamb in a marinade based on acid-containing products in order to get rid of unpleasant features.

The main secret of marinating lamb is the high acidity of the marinade. Therefore, vinegar is considered the simplest, and at the same time widespread product. Acetic acid softens tough meat and makes it tender. When preparing the marinade, it is very important to maintain the proportions specified in the recipe, otherwise the meat may turn out sour.

Meat in vinegar marinade

For half a kilogram of lamb you will need the following products:

medium-sized bulbs – 2 pcs;
lemon – 1 piece;
vinegar – 1-2 tablespoons;
vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon;
pepper, salt, bay leaf to taste.

This marinade is very easy to make:

Take a deep bowl, place the chopped meat in it, add the onion, cut into rings.
Pour in lemon juice, oil and vinegar.
Mix thoroughly, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add bay leaf and leave to marinate.

Please note: it is very important to cut the barbecue meat correctly. Pieces that are too small will take on more marinade than necessary and will be dry and tough after frying. Large pieces will not be completely soaked and may not be cooked completely: they will be browned on the outside and raw on the inside.

If you leave the lamb in the vinegar marinade to infuse at room temperature, the meat will be ready in literally 2-3 hours. But it’s better to prepare in advance and keep the preparation in the refrigerator for about 6 hours, so the meat will be soaked more evenly. Do not forget to stir the pieces of lamb with the marinade every hour.

Lamb shish kebab in kefir

Kefir marinade will help make the meat tender and piquant. It's great if vinegar doesn't seem like the best option for you. For example, for children, shish kebab in such a marinade is the most suitable recipe.

We offer you 3 options for kefir marinade recipes.

For the first recipe you will need:

lamb – 3 kg;
kefir – 3 glasses;
medium-sized bulbs - 3 pieces;
basil, dill, parsley, mint - to taste.

Peel the onion and cut it into half rings.
Finely chop the dill and parsley, and tear the mint and basil with your hands.
Place everything in a deep bowl, mix evenly and pour in kefir.
Pour this marinade over the meat and leave for about 3-4 hours.

Lamb marinated in kefir

To prepare the marinade according to the second recipe, take:

lamb – 3-4 kg;
kefir – 1 liter;
vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons;
bulbs – 4 pcs;
salt, black pepper - to taste.

Place the peeled and chopped onion into rings in a bowl, add pepper and salt.
Stir thoroughly so that the onion releases its juice, and then pour in the oil and kefir.
Stir again and pour the marinade over the meat.

Third type of marinade:

lamb 3 kg;
kefir – 1 liter;
onion – 500 grams;
khmeli-suneli seasoning – 1 tablespoon;
salt and black pepper - to taste.

Pour kefir over chopped onion, salt, pepper and seasoning and mix thoroughly.
You need to keep the meat in this marinade for about 3-4 hours.

Kefir and yogurt for a piquant and spicy marinade

The peculiarity of previous recipes with kefir is that salt can be added not to the marinade, but right before you thread the meat onto the skewer. And the following recipe will help you prepare a piquant spicy kebab. Take these products:

lamb – 1.5 kg (try to take soft, young meat);
kefir – 500 ml (fat content 3.2%);
onions – 5-7 pieces;
powdered sugar - 1.5 teaspoons;
salt, pepper - to taste.

Cool the lamb, cut it, wash it and place it in a bowl. Start preparing the marinade.

Finely chop half the onion. If possible, it is better to grate it on a coarse grater. Add onion to meat, pepper and salt.
Pour kefir into the bowl with lamb. The meat should be well soaked in it, but not drowned. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and mix thoroughly again.
Chop the remaining onions into rings and place on top of the meat. Cover the dish with a lid and refrigerate for 10 hours.

The next marinade is prepared using yogurt. Spicy, so important for meat, will be given by seasonings. You will need:

lamb – 1 kg;
yogurt – 0.5 l;
marjoram – 3 pcs;
paprika – 1 tablespoon;
bulbs – 2 pcs;
1 chili pepper;
7 cloves of garlic;
rosemary – 3 pcs.

Meat in yoghurt marinade

Cut the meat into cubes with sides of at least 3 cm - the most optimal size.
Finely chop the onion, garlic, rosemary, marjoram and chili pepper (you can use ground pepper).
Mix thoroughly with meat, pouring yogurt over everything. It is enough for this marinade to brew for about 3 hours at room temperature.

Soy sauce and wine are a great option for meat

Due to its optimal acid content, soy sauce is excellent for marinating meat, especially lamb. This absolutely natural product is obtained by fermenting soybeans, and the monosodium glutamate it contains will relieve lamb of its specific odor. There is no need to add salt to this marinade; there is enough of it in the sauce itself.

For 1 kilogram of meat you will need the following products:

100 ml soy sauce;
2 cloves of garlic;
juice of half a lemon;
sugar – 0.5 tsp;
spices to taste: basil, pepper, tarragon (tarragon) and others.

Finely chop or grate the garlic, mix it with the sauce, lemon juice and spices until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.
Pour the resulting marinade over the sliced meat so that it is evenly coated. Leave for 3-4 hours.

Wine contains a large number of different natural acids - malic, succinic, acetic, lactic and citric, in the proportions necessary for the body. Therefore, from time immemorial, wine has been used for marinating meat, especially lamb. Dry red wine is considered the most suitable because it gives the meat a tart taste.

Wine is very popular as a marinade for meat

For one and a half kilograms of lamb you will need:

1 glass of red wine;
4-6 medium onions;
spices and salt - to taste.

Cut the meat, put it in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and spices and leave to steep for half an hour.
Cut the onion into rings and add to the meat.
Pour in the wine so that it does not cover the meat. Otherwise, it is better to drain a small part. Do not mix the onion with the meat, let it remain on top.
Cover the dish with a lid and place it in the refrigerator. By morning the kebab will be completely marinated. If you leave it at room temperature, the marinating time will be reduced to 4 hours.

Fruits at your service: lamb in kiwi and orange

Kiwi, due to its natural acid content, is also perfect for marinating meat. Moreover, this fruit will come in handy if your lamb is old and tough: kiwi will make the meat very soft, as if from a young lamb.

Please note: kiwi contains substances that break down animal protein. Do not use too much kiwi to prevent the marinated meat from turning into a pate. The optimal amount is 1 medium-sized fruit per 1 kg of meat.

Cut the lamb, mix it with salt and spices to taste. Grind 2-3 onions in a blender or meat grinder along with peeled and chopped lemon. Mix this mixture with the meat and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Try marinating barbecue meat in kiwi

The main ingredient, kiwi, should be added to the marinade no later than 2 hours before frying the kebab. Therefore, when the meat is infused, grind the kiwi pulp using a blender, meat grinder or grater, and mix this puree with the pickled lamb. The shish kebab will be ready for frying just at the moment when the coals of the fire reach the desired condition.

The orange marinade will not only make the meat juicy and soft, but also give it an unusual aroma. This kebab is a little different from the usual one, but it will surely win your love.

Take these products:

1 kg lamb;
1 liter of orange juice;
2/3 cup orange liqueur;
1 green chili pepper;
100 g coriander seeds;
6 oranges;
Fresh cilantro for garnish.

For this kebab, take young, lean lamb. Cooking will take time and patience.

Shish kebab in orange marinade

Place the chopped meat in a deep bowl. Rub it with chopped coriander. Pour in liqueur and orange juice.
Grind the chili pepper and add to the meat. Add peeled and sliced oranges there. Cover the dish with a lid and leave it in the refrigerator for a day. Stir every 3 hours.
After time has passed, remove the lamb from the marinade. Thread the meat onto skewers alternately with orange slices. Place them on the grill or coals for frying.
While the kebabs are cooking, prepare the marinade sauce. Place the pan on the heat and simmer until the liquid becomes sticky but not thick. Pour this sauce over the finished kebab and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Shish kebab with mineral water and mayonnaise - the most common options

Mineral water is a very popular base for marinade. It is not only inexpensive, but also quite simple to prepare. All you need for this barbecue is:

3 kg of lamb (it is advisable to take meat from the ham);
500 ml sparkling mineral water;
2 medium sized lemons;
2 large tomatoes;
2 medium onions;
300 g rye bread;
pepper, salt, spices - to choose from.

Rinse the lamb thoroughly and cut the meat into small pieces. Be sure to cut across the grain.
Place the meat in a deep bowl, sprinkle with chopped onion in half rings, and press down a little. Place the tomatoes cut into slices there. Leave it for a while.
Take another bowl and place the rye bread cut into small pieces into it.
Cut the lemons into 2 parts and squeeze their juice onto the pieces of bread.
Fill with sparkling mineral water. Stir and add to the bowl with the meat.
Season with salt, pepper and spices.
Stir and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours. This marinade will soften the meat to the desired consistency without disturbing its structure.

Mayonnaise, like mineral water, is very popular as a base for marinade. You will need:

2 kg lamb;
6 onions;
200 g mayonnaise;
200 g mustard;
pepper, salt - to taste.

A mixture of mayonnaise and mustard is an excellent option for a marinade.

Place the chopped meat in a bowl, add salt, pepper and finely chopped onion. Remember to let the juice flow.
Mix mustard with mayonnaise, pour into the bowl with meat, remember again.
Cover with a lid and leave for 6 hours.

Tip: the taste of the kebab largely depends on the choice of mustard. If you like spicy meat, choose traditional Russian mustard. If you prefer fragrant meat with a mild taste, then sweet mustard - French or Dijon - is suitable.

Spices, herbs and herbs that go well with barbecue

Video about preparing marinade for barbecue

As you can see, there are many options for preparing the marinade, and some of them are quite unusual. Surely you have your own original recipes. Share them with us in the comments. Bon appetit and warm spring days!

The most correct and traditional dish on the grill is lamb shish kebab, which has been prepared since ancient times. The ancestors began frying pre-marinated lamb meat immediately after acquiring the ability to make fire. But despite thousands of years of experience, In order to cook lamb shish kebab correctly and tasty, you need to know the intricacies of the entire procedure.

Obtaining juicy and tasty meat at the end directly depends on compliance with three stages:

choice of lamb;
pickling;
frying

Important! A successful barbecue requires following all the steps, but first of all, the marinade will determine its intense flavor.

Classic lamb shish kebab recipe

The dish, prepared according to the classic recipe, has been tried and appreciated by every connoisseur of traditional kebab.

To complete this recipe you will need:

lamb pulp – 1 kg;
onions – 5 pcs. medium heads;
dry wine – 200 ml;

When recreating the classic taste, you must follow the following instructions:

Lamb meat, from which the film and veins are first removed, is cut into small pieces, after which it is salted, peppered and seasoned with spices.
Meat pieces are mixed with pre-cut onion into rings.
Vegetable oil and wine are added to the meat and onion mixture.
After 1-2 hours, depending on the hardness of the meat, the pieces are strung on skewers, which are sent to the fire.
During frying, which lasts 15 minutes, the skewers are periodically turned over and the lamb is sprinkled with wine.

Attention! Glass or ceramic containers are used for pickling: metal containers are susceptible to oxidation, which can cause serious poisoning.

Caucasian kebab recipe

At all times, shish kebab prepared by mountain peoples has been famous, the creation of which requires a minimum set of products:

lamb pulp – 1 kg;
onion – 500 g;
grape vinegar – 2-3 tbsp. spoons;
fresh greens (parsley and cilantro) – 1 bunch;
water – 200 ml;
salt and spices (pepper, basil, thyme) - to taste.

For preparation:

The pulp, cut into small pieces, is salted and mixed with spices and chopped herbs.
Water is poured into a separate bowl and vinegar is added.
The meat is placed in a marinating container, onion sliced into thin rings is laid out on top, after which everything is poured with a water-vinegar solution.

After 5-6 hours, the lamb is ready to be grilled over hot coals for 20 minutes.

Advice! To avoid drying out the meat, sprinkle it with marinade when frying.

Recipe with vinegar and onions

To make the meat soft, add acid - vinegar, lemon juice.

To create a dish from 1 kg of lamb meat on the grill you will need:

wine vinegar - 2 tbsp. spoons;
lemon – 1 pc.;
sugar - a pinch;
vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
salt and spices (pepper, basil, marjoram, savory) - to taste.

The vinegar marinade for lamb kebab begins to be prepared after the standard preparation of lamb meat as follows:

Peeled onions are cut into rings half a centimeter thick so that they can be cooked together with meat on skewers.
The onion is placed in a container with the meat pieces, where salt, spices and granulated sugar are added to soften the sour taste.
Vegetable oil, vinegar and juice squeezed from lemon are poured into the mixture.
After thorough mixing, the container with pickled lamb is kept on the table for an hour, then moved to the refrigerator.

Important! If the flesh is hard, then it should be marinated for at least 5 hours.

Adding ginger to marinade

If you add ginger during marinating, the taste of the kebab will improve significantly: the ginger additive makes the meat more tender, giving it a unique aroma.

Taking the recipe for making shish kebab with vinegar and onions as a basis, the latter is excluded. And when mixing meat with traditional spices, add a little ground or chopped ginger root.

Original mint addition

You can prepare aromatic kebab with a spicy aroma by adding mint to the vinegar marinade. Along with the spices, three chopped mint sprigs are placed with the meat. A richer taste is obtained by marinating meat for 10-12 hours.

Marinade with yogurt

Another original way to marinate lamb, adding originality to its extraordinary taste.

To prepare a kilogram of pulp, you should purchase the following ingredients:

red wine – 50 ml;
yogurt – 200 ml;
garlic – 4 cloves;
olive oil – 1 tbsp. spoon;
salt and spices (pepper, paprika, coriander) - to taste.

To obtain shish kebab in this marinade:

Wine, salt, spices, olive oil and garlic passed through a press are diluted in yogurt.
Meat cut into small pieces is placed in the resulting marinade.
After mixing, the mixture is placed in the refrigerator for 6-10 hours.
After the allotted time has passed, the lamb is threaded onto skewers, where it drains before being placed on the grill,
Fry on all sides for no longer than 10 minutes over intense heat.

Advice! To give the dish a special aroma, you can add chopped mint sprigs to the marinade with yogurt.

Recipe with honey and mineral water

This method allows you to quickly marinate any lamb.

For honey shish kebab from a kilogram of lamb pulp you will need:

honey – 15 g;
sparkling mineral water – 1 glass;
onion – 150 g;
fresh greens (cilantro and parsley) - half a bunch each;
salt and spices - to taste and availability.

To prepare lamb with honey:

Randomly chopped greens and onions, liquid honey are added to the chopped pieces of meat in a bowl for marinating.
The contents of the container are salted, seasoned with spices and filled with highly carbonated water, after which everything is mixed well.

After 3 hours, the meat is ready for grilling over charcoal.

Kiwi recipe

Kiwi is an excellent ingredient that can tenderize even very tough lamb.

To prepare a kilogram of lamb, the following products are prepared:

kiwi – 1 pc.;
lemon – 1⁄2 pcs.;
onions – 2 large heads;
Sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. spoons;
salt and spices (pepper, basil, marjoram, savory, coriander and others) - to taste.

After preparing the meat as required by the lamb, the preparation of the marinade begins:

The onion is crushed in a blender to a pulp or grated.
Kiwi is also turned into puree using a blender or potato masher.
Along with salt and spices, onions and kiwi are placed in the container where the meat is located.
After seasoning with sunflower oil, the mixture is stirred and kept on the table for no more than 2 hours.

Carefully! Do not over-expose lamb in the kiwi marinade: pieces of meat may soften to the consistency of minced meat.

Thus, bringing to life one of the recipes described above will provide a positive barbecue mood for a friendly company and the unsurpassed taste of lamb on the grill.

I don’t use marinade for lamb in the oven often, but I still use it. The downside to this cooking method is time. A ram is not a chicken. To properly marinate a large piece of meat, you need at least several hours, and for some recipes even days. A significant plus is that the meat turns out very tender.

I've come across the opinion that only bad meat is marinated to hide defects, or that marinating makes lamb rubbery. To be honest, I have NEVER encountered the latter. And I’ve never held “bad” lamb in my hands either. That's what marinating with seasonings really does - it changes the flavor of the meat. Those. if the meat has too much of a lamb smell that you don’t like, then marinating will help. If the smell, on the contrary, is weak and almost absent, and you want to preserve it, strong seasonings should be avoided; it is better to do it purely with salt and pepper. Well, now let's look at a clear example of how to marinate a leg of lamb for baking in the oven?

First, you need to remove the outer films from it and, possibly, remove excess fat. What is "excess fat"? If you are going to eat the lamb hot, then there can be no excess fat on the leg. But if it’s cold, then it makes sense to cut off the thick pillow; it won’t taste good when it’s cold.

If you have a large leg of lamb like mine (up to the spine), then the bones of the spine and pelvis are also removed. Marinating, strictly speaking, has nothing to do with it, it’s just that it will be more convenient to cut it later. We remove the head of the femur from the joint, and cut out all the other bones from the thick part of the piece. Can be used to cook broth.

Our marinade will consist, in fact, of two parts - pasta and wine. For the paste, peel the garlic and crush it with salt and herbs, adding vegetable oil to the paste. Tear off the leaves from the branches of fresh herbs, discard the rough branches; they are not needed in this recipe.

We poke several large pockets in the muscles. Do you see how deep my knife is, and how thick it is? Really big ones, not like stuffing with garlic.

Use a teaspoon to distribute the seasoning paste into the pockets.

Coat the entire surface of the leg with the remaining paste. Here you can add a little more oil and salt.

Place the leg in some deep container and pour white wine over it. Yep, right on top of the pasta you just spread. We cover the container with the leg on top with film and marinate the lamb in wine at room temperature for 2-3 hours, turning it over from time to time (you will have to remove the film and re-stretch it each time, so it’s better to take something thick). You can marinate in the refrigerator this way for longer.

Calculating the baking time for lamb, everything is written there in great detail, I don’t see the point in repeating this information here. The only thing is that you need to water it with the same marinade in which the leg was marinated. I mean, fish it out of it, bake it on a baking sheet without marinade, and collect the marinade in a jug and then use it for basting, if necessary. The baking time does not change in any way, with or without marinating.

And the result after marinating will be a little different, like this. Do you see the difference in the color and texture of the meat? I usually always use the same temperature setting for my feet, i.e. The marinade makes all the difference. With it, my lamb turned out literally pearly pink.

Well, did I manage to tempt anyone into trying to marinate a leg of lamb for baking in the oven?