Basturma

(Grilled marinated meat)

The most common grill in Georgia is mtsvadi, skewers of plain, freshly slaughtered lamb, beef, or pork. If the meat is less tender, however, it can be marinated overnight before grilling, in which case it is known as basturma.

The following two recipes for lamb and beef, but the marinades are interchangeable and work equally well with pork.

Serves 4 to 6 (Lamb)

1 cups of pomegranate juice
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3 pounds of boneless shoulder or leg of lamb, cut into 2-inch cubes
One 1-pound eggplant, salted, drained, and partially boiled

Mix together the pomegranate juice, olive oil, salt, pepper to taste, bay leaf, and garlic. Marinate the lamb overnight (preferably some 24 hours) in this mixture. The following day, place meat on skewers, alternating with eggplant cubes of 2-inches. Grill over hot coals for about 10 minutes. Serve with tkemali sauce.

Serves 4 to 6 (Beef)

2 pounds of boneless beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 large onion, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon of salt
3 black peppercorns, crushed
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
1 1/4 cups of olive oil
3/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Tomatoes and scallions

Place the meat cubes in a large bowl. Mix together thoroughly the onion, salt, peppercorns, garlic, and herbs. Combine olive oil and lemon juice, and stir in the onion. Pour over the meat. Marinate overnight, preferably 24 hours.

Place meat on skewers and grill over hot coals for about 10 minutes, turning once. The meat should still be pink inside. Serve garnished with tomato wedges and scallions. Cilantro sauce and Tomato sauce are particularly good with this dish.

Recipe from Niko Dadiani

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