Grilled Skewers · Charcoal Classic

Shashlik (Шашлык)

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

Traditional Uzbek shashlik skewers are forged flat, not round, so the threaded meat can't spin loose while a vendor flips it over the coals.

Cubes of marinated lamb or beef — sometimes fatty minced meat pressed straight onto the skewer — are grilled over glowing charcoal until charred outside and juicy within, then served on the skewer with raw onion rings splashed with vinegar and a round of non on the side.

Why it's made this way: Meat grilled on skewers has long been part of Central Asian cooking, and Uzbek vendors make theirs distinct with cumin, black pepper and a layer of fat threaded between the meat cubes — a house recipe every street vendor swears is the one true version.