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Pork khorovats
Khorovats: Armenian pork barbecue on skewers, with a lamb option
Khorovats is the centre of every Armenian summer weekend, whether at a family dacha near Yerevan or a picnic by Lake Sevan: big chunks of meat on long flat skewers, grilled over vine or apricot wood. This version uses pork (it contains pork) from the neck or shoulder, which stays juicy over fire; boneless lamb leg works the same way with 2–3 minutes less cooking. The marinade is just onion, black pepper, a little paprika and herbs, and the meat is served with raw onion, flat lavash and a plate of grilled vegetables. A frequent mistake is cutting the pieces small; at under 4 cm they dry out before the outside browns. Chef's tip: lay a sheet of lavash over the finished skewers for a minute so it soaks up the juices, then eat the bread too.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the meat
- 2 ⅝ lb boneless pork neck or shouldercut into 5 cm chunks; or boneless lamb leg
- 3 onions2 sliced into rings, 1 grated
- 1 ½ tsp black peppercoarsely ground
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme or savory
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
To serve
- 1 red onionthinly sliced
- 1 tsp sumac (optional)
- 1 oz fresh coriander, parsley and basilin sprigs
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 2 ⅝ lb boneless pork neck or shoulder in a large bowl with 3 onions, 1 ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp dried thyme or savory and 2 tbsp sunflower oil and squeeze it all together with your hands so the onion juices coat the meat.
Step 2: Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. Keep it in the fridge the whole time.
360 minStep 3: Light a charcoal grill (adding a few chunks of fruitwood if you have them) and let it burn down to hot glowing coals with grey ash. You should only be able to hold your hand over them for 3–4 seconds.
30 minStep 5: Grill for 15–20 minutes, turning every 3 minutes. If fat drips and flares up, sprinkle the coals with a little water. The pork is done when the outside is deeply browned and the thickest piece reaches 160°F in the centre, with clear juices and no pink.
18 minStep 6: Slide the meat onto a platter, cover with 3 lavash bread and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 7: Toss 1 red onion with 1 tsp sumac and serve with the meat, the juice-soaked lavash and 1 oz fresh coriander, parsley and basil. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pork khorovats take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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