Name: Veal Mtsvadi Kakheti
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 53 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 1,200 g boneless veal rib or loin with modest marbling, cut into even 4 cm cubes; trim silverskin and hard exterior fat; 9 g fine salt; 120 ml dry Kakhetian white wine, for light basting; discard any unused wine that has contacted raw veal; 200 g yellow onion, thinly sliced and served raw

Wide view of grilled veal mtsvadi, raw onion and a small glass of Kakhetian white wine.

Yield6 skewers, 6 servings

Serving basisone skewer; about 200 g raw veal before cooking loss

DifficultyModerate; manage the ember bed and check the meat with a thermometer

Preparation25 minutes

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The dish

About Veal Mtsvadi Kakheti

Mtsvadi is Georgian meat grilled on skewers. Georgia Travel includes veal among the meats used for mtsvadi and singles out Kakheti for its ember-grilled tradition. The tourism source's detailed formula is pork-focused, so this recipe presents a measured home version of veal mtsvadi rather than claiming a canonical regional veal recipe.

Choose veal rib or loin with a little marbling, trim away silverskin and cut the meat into even 4 cm cubes. Salt it simply, thread it onto skewers and grill over embers that have settled and begun to glow beneath a light ash. Turn the skewers often. A light brush of dry Kakhetian white wine in the final minutes adds the regional wine note without soaking the meat in a marinade.

Use an instant-read thermometer: appearance alone cannot confirm safe doneness. The largest cube must reach 62.8 °C / 145 °F and rest for 3 minutes. Serve the skewers over raw onion, with bread or tkemali offered separately if desired.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

6 skewers / 6 servings

1,200 gboneless veal rib or loin with modest marbling, cut into even 4 cm cubes; trim silverskin and hard exterior fat
9 gfine salt
120 mldry Kakhetian white wine, for light basting; discard any unused wine that has contacted raw veal
200 gyellow onion, thinly sliced and served raw

Method

Cut and season. Keep the veal refrigerated at or below 4 °C until you are ready to prepare it. Cut into even 4 cm cubes and divide among six skewers. Salt all sides.
Prepare the grill. Set the wine in a heatproof cup. Keep the sliced onion, clean platter and ready-to-eat utensils separate from raw veal and its board. Wait until the embers glow steadily without active flames.
Start grilling. Lay the skewers over the settled embers. Turn them frequently so the cubes brown evenly on every side.
Baste lightly. Grill for about 20–25 minutes. During the final minutes, brush on a little wine at a time; discard the remainder after it has touched raw-meat utensils. If dripping fat causes flames, move the skewers to a cooler part of the grill.
Check and rest. Insert a food thermometer from the side into the center of the largest cube. Once it reaches at least 62.8 °C / 145 °F, transfer the skewers to a clean platter and rest 3 minutes. If it is below temperature, continue grilling and check again. Serve with the raw onion.

Veal Mtsvadi — Kakhetian-style ember-grilled skewers

Salted 4 cm veal cubes grilled over settled embers, brushed lightly with Kakhetian white wine and served with raw onion.

Excerpt

Make Georgian veal mtsvadi with evenly cut skewers, steady embers, frequent turning and a thermometer check for safe, juicy meat.

Practical guidance

Veal is leaner than pork neck, so choose cubes with a little marbling and turn them often over steady, moderate embers. Avoid direct flames; they char the outside before the center reaches temperature. Do not use timing or browning as a substitute for the thermometer reading.

If using wooden skewers, soak them according to the manufacturer's instructions and keep exposed ends away from the hottest part of the fire. Use separate utensils for raw and cooked meat. Refrigerate any cooked leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days; reheat to 74 °C / 165 °F.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving (approximate)

Serving size: one skewer; about 200 g raw veal before cooking loss
Energy: 275 kcal
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Protein: 43 g
Fat: 9 g
Fibre: 0.6 g
Sodium: 650 mg

Allergens and food safety

No major allergen is intentionally added. Wine can contain sulfites; follow the bottle label and local allergen rules. Keep raw veal at or below 4 °C, and separate it and its utensils from onion and cooked food. Whole-cut veal must reach 62.8 °C / 145 °F and rest 3 minutes, confirmed with a food thermometer. Discard wine that contacted raw meat. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

To serve

Serve the hot skewers on sliced raw onion; offer shotis puri or tkemali separately if desired.
Bring the platter to the table promptly while the veal is hot and juicy.