Ok, as stated in my first post.... everything from now on will be in English (sorry, google translate really sucks and my wife said she doesn't want to translate anymore... but does help with the hashtags LOL).
A few things, just my observations and opinions, that could benefit from some western thoughts. I'll start a new post each week for these items: BBQ, Spices, Sauces, etc. Let's start with one of my favorite ones though.... BBQ.
BBQ: A subject that is very dear to my heart as cooking requires love.... and I LOVE to BBQ.
I learned how to BBQ (grill and smoke) from some of the best folks in Texas; the ones who make sure it's not only prepared properly, but also cooked and flavored properly. First off, y'all need some bigger grills here. The Mangal (and "Super Mangal") grills work really well for Shashlik, but there are so many ways to improve upon the flavors of the meats with just simple things.... the wood, and the type of BBQ pit.
Birch works nice, I agree (and there's plenty of it here)... but I prefer Oak, Hickory, Mesquite, and flavored woods (Apple, Pear, Grape, Maple, and Cedar). Since there is no Mesquite that grows here (that i've seen), I use Birch to get the fire going, but add some Oak. Why, because the birch is a fast and hot burning wood... whereas the Oak is slower burning wood and keeps the heat more consistent. Once the wood is fired and the coals are just about ready, I use different type of wood (Apple, Plum, Grape, Cedar, or Maple) for some extra smoke and flavoring.
Before putting in the more flavorful wood, soak it in water for a few minutes so that it doesn't immediately burn and gives off some smoke flavoring. When you look at meats cooked on a BBQ grill that have a pink "ring" on the outer edge, that's from the smoke.
Using the correct wood also depends on the meats: Applewood works well on Pork and Beef, Grape and Plum wood work well on Chicken, Cedar is excellent with Salmon (or other types of fish), and the Maple works well on Beef/Pork/Chicken.
I normally leave the flavored woods on either end of the grill (Mangal in this case) to provide some smoke from both sides; to more evenly flavor the meats. You can use the chips (found at many stores here), but those burn too quickly and need to soak in water for at least 15 minutes. I stick with the actual wood from the trees. Thankfully, our Dacha has Apple, Plum, Birch, and Maple readily available (I cut and dry the wood, then store it for when I need it.)
One quick way to get things going on the grill is to use charcoal. Do NOT use those pressed bricks the call charcoal.... most are complete garbage and do not burn properly. If you want to use charcoal, use the "lump coal".... the big pieces of charcoal wood. They burn better and cleaner, without any "glues" or "binding agents" to make them look like small black pillows.
The best fluids i've found out here do not use naptha, methly alcohol, or parafin. Those leave a nasty smell or do not burn well at all. The gel type fluid.... complete garbage, throw it away. The best one is sometimes found in the local store - Pytorchka has one from "Seasons".... it's awesome and burns clean without any smell. Some people do not use fluids to start their BBQ pits, which is actually best, but sometimes.... you just need to get things started easier.
Now you may ask, why is this guy telling us how to BBQ on our Mangal grills.... well, I've cooked BBQ on small "Weber" grills, propane grills (I personally don't like using the propane grills), wood pellet grills, but my favorite is my "Oklahoma Joe" Smoker. I sure miss it out here in Russia though.... I just have to find someone that can custom weld and help create a smoker for me.
Someone may also wonder what my experience is with a smoker BBQ grill.... well, 32 pounds (14kg) of brisket cooked for almost 200 people (previous work in the USA wanted me to cook for them before we moved to Russia). That started at 4am in the morning and the meat was all done by 1pm for lunch. It was seasoned the night before (I will talk about my homemade seasonings on the next post.... yes, all homemade), then slow cooked (smoked at 250F / 121C) for 8 hours.
Am I a professional chef, no... but some of the best BBQ folks i've met never went to cooking school... they learned from their previous generations and passed on the traditions.
Well, the night is creeping upon me so I will leave you with this post and a few pictures of my old smoker and some Brisket.
Y'all enjoy.... :)
