Braised Mtsvadi
Main Dishes • Georgian
Description
Strictly speaking, there is no word for 'shashlik' in the Georgian language — the term used is 'mtsvadi'. Georgians have a special relationship with mtsvadi; they do not marinate it — very often they kill the animal and roast it immediately. Mtsvadi made from beef tenderloin turns out particularly well. It is so tender that we skewer it whole — we don't even cut it. Then we roast it. Inside, the meat remains slightly pink. After roasting, we remove it from the skewer, cut it into pieces, season with salt and pepper — and that's it. It is believed that the taste of mtsvadi depends on the type of wood used for roasting. Grape vine is the best: it contains very aromatic oil. In the mountains, there is a bush called deka — they use it for roasting shashlik there. Mountain mtsvadi has a completely different taste; you just have to go and try it. In urban conditions, we use birch charcoal.
Ingredients
- Onion 5 heads
- Pork Blood 35 oz
- Dry White Wine 15 fl oz
- Chacha 10 fl oz
- Ocean salt to taste
- Ground Black Pepper to taste
- Vegetable Oil 2 tablespoons
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1
Take a lean piece of meat and cut it into medium-sized pieces.
Step 2
Cut two onions into four parts and place them on the meat. Pour the wine and chacha over everything. If you suddenly don't have wine at home, you can substitute it with wine vinegar. Chacha should be present in any respectable household — that's clear. Season with salt and pepper and let the meat marinate for 2–4 hours. The longer the meat marinates, the tastier the dish will be, so if possible, it's better to leave it overnight.
Step 3
Skewer the meat and roast it until golden brown — ideally over an open fire or at least on a grill. You can also use a frying pan. The main thing is not to overcook it: the meat should remain juicy, as is proper for mtsvadi.
Step 4
Place the meat in a thick-walled pot, preferably a cast-iron one like a Dutch oven. Cut three onions into four parts and add them to the meat. Pour another shot of chacha over the meat and braise it in the marinade over low heat until the pieces of mtsvadi become tender enough to eat with a spoon, and the onion completely dissolves.
Step 5
What you get looks somewhat like a pâté. Pork takes about an hour and a half to cook, beef about an hour, and veal even less. The key is to keep tasting and not wander far from the pot. To keep things interesting, pour yourself some wine and invite a couple of guests into the kitchen. But don't get carried away — if you overbraise the mtsvadi, it will turn into mush, and neither you nor your guests want that. After all, you invited them for mtsvadi.
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