Shashlik is skewered meat grilled over coals, and in Russia it is less a recipe than an occasion: the summer weekend at the dacha, the May holidays, the riverside picnic with someone fanning the embers with a piece of cardboard and everyone else offering advice. The word came into Russian in the eighteenth century, and lamb was the original meat, but pork neck and shoulder are now the national favorites, marinated with a great deal of onion and something sour to make them tender.

On the Black Sea coast around Sochi, where the Russian Grand Prix was held, shashlik comes off the grill with marinated onion, cilantro, flatbread and ajika, the hot red pepper and garlic paste of the neighboring Caucasus. The method below works on a charcoal grill, a gas grill or under an oven broiler, so the weather has no vote.

The marinated pork

Ingredients

• 3 pounds (1.4 kg) boneless pork shoulder or neck
• 3 large yellow onions
• 2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 3 tablespoons apple cider or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) sparkling mineral water
• 2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

Method

1. Cut the pork into cubes about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) across. Leave the fat on; it bastes the meat on the grill.
2. Peel the onions and slice them into thin rings. Put them in the bowl with the salt and squeeze them hard with your hands for a minute.
3. Add the pork, pepper, coriander, paprika, vinegar, mineral water and oil. Mix well with your hands so every piece is coated, press the meat down, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.

Quick red ajika

Ingredients

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 to 2 fresh red chilies
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup (15 g) fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon blue fenugreek
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Method

1. Put everything in the blender and pulse until you have a coarse, spoonable paste, scraping down the sides once or twice. Taste and add salt or chili. Chill until needed.

Grilling and serving

Ingredients

• 1 red onion
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro or dill
• 6 lavash or soft flatbreads

Method

1. Toss the red onion rings with the vinegar and a pinch of salt and leave for at least 15 minutes.
2. Heat a charcoal grill until the coals are covered in white ash and glowing, or a gas grill to medium high, about 450°F (230°C). For the broiler, set a rack 4 inches (10 cm) below the heat and turn it on high.
3. Shake the marinade off the pork and thread the cubes onto the skewers, touching but not packed tight. Discard the marinade and the soggy onions.
4. Grill for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes so all sides brown. If flare ups char the meat, move the skewers to a cooler part of the grill for a minute.
5. Lay the skewers on a platter on top of the flatbreads so they catch the juices. Rest for 3 minutes, then scatter with the pickled onion and herbs.

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