Mtsvadi

Mtsvadi is Georgia's iconic skewered meat, grilled over smoldering grapevine cuttings in a cylindrical clay or metal brazier called a mangali. From the mountains of Kazbegi to the streets of Tbilisi, the smell of mtsvadi over vine embers is inseparable from Georgian celebration. The marinade is deliberately minimal — salt, onion, and pomegranate — because the quality of the pork and the wood smoke do the work.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1kg (2.2 lb) pork shoulder or neck, cut into 4cm (1.5 inch) cubes
• 2 large onions — 1 grated, 1 thinly sliced into rings for serving
• 4 tbsp (60ml) pomegranate juice
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• Seeds from ½ pomegranate, to garnish
• Fresh tarragon sprigs, to garnish
• Tkemali plum sauce or sulguni cheese, to serve

Instructions

1. Combine pork cubes with the grated onion, pomegranate juice, pepper, and salt. Mix well, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Thread the pork onto flat metal skewers (about 5-6 pieces per skewer), pressing the cubes tightly together so they don't rotate.
3. Prepare a charcoal or wood fire — traditionally grapevine wood — and let it burn down to glowing embers with no open flame.
4. Grill the skewers 12-15 cm above the coals, turning every 2-3 minutes, for a total of 14-18 minutes until the pork is cooked through with a dark caramelised crust.
5. Rest for 3 minutes. Serve on a board over sliced raw onion rings, scattered with pomegranate seeds and fresh tarragon.

Cook's Notes: In Georgia, pushing the meat tight on the skewer keeps it juicy — gaps cause the exterior to dry before the interior cooks. If grapevine wood is unavailable, cherry or apple wood chips added to charcoal approximates the flavour. Mtsvadi is always eaten immediately off the fire; it does not wait.