Mtsvadi (Georgian Pork Shashlik)
Mtsvadi is Georgian pork shashlik grilled over charcoal. You want a fatty cut — pork neck — with a short marinade of onion, pomegranate juice, and khmeli suneli, then grapevine coals until the edges char and the center stays juicy. It comes off the skewer onto lavash, with pickled onion and pomegranate seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 kgpork neck
- 4 pcsonion
- 150 mlpomegranate juice
- 1 tbspkhmeli suneli
- 1.5 tspsalt
- 1 gblack pepper
- 80 gpomegranate seeds
- 1 bunchfresh parsley
- 4 for servinglavash flatbread
Method
- Cut the pork neck into 4–5 cm cubes, keeping the streaks of fat. Pieces this size get a charred crust outside while staying juicy inside; smaller cubes dry out and larger ones won't cook through.
- Slice the onions into half-rings. Set one onion aside for serving before it touches the meat: toss it with a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of the pomegranate juice, cover and refrigerate. Crush about half of the remaining onion by hand with a pinch of salt until it releases its juice — that juice is the real base of the marinade and carries more aroma than grated onion.
- Combine the meat, the marinade onion, the rest of the pomegranate juice, khmeli suneli, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix with your hands so the marinade coats every piece.
- Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, ideally overnight. The pomegranate acid softens the fibers, but don't go past a full day or the meat turns mushy.
- Build a charcoal fire from grapevine cuttings or fruitwood. Keep the heat even with no open flames — flames char the outside and leave the center raw.
- Thread the meat tightly onto skewers and shake the onion off — over the fire it burns and turns bitter. Throw this onion away along with the leftover marinade: it has sat with raw pork, and it never gets cooked. Grill for 15–18 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until a browned crust forms.
- Cut into a piece to check: the juices should run clear with no pink. Slide the meat off the skewers onto lavash, scatter over the reserved pomegranate onion, the pomegranate seeds and torn parsley, and serve right away.
FAQ
Use well-marbled pork neck — it's the classic cut for mtsvadi. Shoulder works too but comes out drier. Skip tenderloin and lean ham, which dry out and toughen over coals. Cut the meat into 4–5 cm pieces so you get a crust outside and juice inside.
If you have no pomegranate, use dry white wine or white wine vinegar cut 1:1 with water; the meat tenderizes the same way, with a sharper, less sweet flavor. Narsharab, a thick pomegranate sauce, is a good option — a teaspoon per kilo is enough. Lemon juice works too, but use it sparingly so it doesn't overpower the pork.
Yes, though you'll miss the smoky flavor of the vine wood. In a cast-iron grill pan, sear over high heat, turning until a crust forms on all sides. In the oven, use the top broiler with the tray high and turn the pieces. For a smoky note, add a pinch of smoked paprika to the marinade.
The meat on its own, with no breading or flour-based sauces, is a gluten-free and keto option: almost no carbs and plenty of protein. Watch the side — lavash is wheat, so swap it for lettuce leaves or grilled vegetables for keto. The pomegranate juice adds a little sugar, but only a few grams per serving. Check sauces like tkemali for thickeners.
The classic move is to slide the meat off the skewer straight onto lavash, which soaks up the juices. On top go pickled onion with pomegranate seeds and chopped herbs: cilantro and parsley. For sauces, tkemali, satsebeli, or narsharab all fit. Serve it right away — mtsvadi loses its juiciness once it cools.
Rate this
Recipes by email
One letter a week: a recipe picked for your taste, plus whatever is new on the site. Unsubscribe in one click.
Welcome gift: Sergei's cookbook (e-book).
By subscribing you agree to the privacy policy.
Tell us what you like to cook (30 seconds) →Keep browsing
More dishes from the Georgian archive — picked by overlap with what you're cooking now.
Join the conversation
Comments
No comments yet — be the first!