Recipe
Khorovats marinade: onion or matsun
For khorovats (Armenian barbecue), use onion, salt and black pepper, or add matsun for the second version. The quantities are for 1 kg of meat, with marinating times for each meat listed below.
- for 2 people
- Prep: 20 min
- Marinating: 3 h
- Grilling: 25 min
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork, boneless, or another meat using the timings below
- 200 g onion
- 12 g salt
- 2 g ground black pepper
- For the matsun version: an additional 200 g plain, unstrained matsun
Method
- Cut boneless meat into even pieces about 3–4 cm across. Use separate utensils for chicken and other meats, or wash them thoroughly between tasks.
- Thinly slice the onion and gently squeeze it with the salt and pepper to release some juice. Mix with the meat. This is the basic version.
- For the matsun marinade, add 200 g matsun to the same mixture. There is no need to add vinegar or lemon juice as well.
- Cover and marinate only in the refrigerator at no more than 4 °C. Suggested times for the onion version are pork 3–8 hours, lamb 2–4 hours, beef suitable for quick grilling 2–8 hours and chicken portions 1–3 hours.
- For the matsun version, allow pork 3–6 hours, lamb 2–4 hours, beef suitable for quick grilling 2–6 hours and chicken portions 2–4 hours. These are flavour and texture suggestions, not extensions of storage life.
- Remove onion pieces and excess matsun before grilling so they do not burn. Thread the meat without packing it tightly and cook over glowing embers without open flames. Allow roughly 15–25 minutes for pork pieces measuring 3–4 cm.
- Check doneness with a thermometer. Pieces cut from whole-muscle pork, lamb and beef should reach at least 63 °C in the centre, followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes off the heat; chicken should reach 74 °C. Discard marinade that has touched raw meat.
Tips
- Marinade cannot make every cut tender: choosing beef suitable for quick grilling matters.
- Marinating does not extend storage life. Account for how long the meat has been stored since purchase and whether it has been kept properly chilled.
- Bone-in portions and whole chickens may need different grilling times; the estimate here does not apply to them.
- Matsun and kefir are different products; these quantities and timings are intended for matsun.
