Meat Dish

China

Xinjiang lamb skewers is a dish consisting of pieces of lamb (rarely even mutton) that are skewered onto a stick and then grilled using a special technique. The lamb is first cut up into pieces, each having a different texture and flavor. Every piece of lamb can be grilled, from lean and fatty meats to skin, tripe, marrow, and offal. The first step is shortly grilling the lamb, then dipping it into hot mutton suet that&rsquo;s been previously melted in a metal can, which locks in the juices and adds rich flavor. Then, the skewers are seasoned &mdash; the spices distribute thanks to the coating of fat evenly. Finally, the skewers are then back on the grill and grilled until crispy on the outside while the insides remain tender and juicy.

Xinjiang lamb skewers

X-Tudo is an unusually tall burger originating from Brazil. Although not much is known about its invention, this burger (which means with everything or cheese everything when translated) has no fixed ingredients, but it always has many toppings. They often include beef patties, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, corn, melted cheese, sausages, and fried potato sticks or shoestring potatoes. This mammoth of a burger is typically served in paper trays, and eating it is no easy feat &ndash; most people can't get their mouth around it because it's so huge, which makes for a messy eating experience.

X-Tudo

Yakitori refers to Japanese grilled chicken where pieces of chicken meat are skewered with a particular type of skewer called kushi (which can be made from either steel or bamboo) and are then traditionally grilled over a charcoal fire. Depending on the cut of chicken and the method of preparation, there are various types of this dish. An important step in the making of yakitori is the seasoning, either salty or salty-sweet, which can be done during or after grilling. Salty seasoning is just salt that can sometimes be combined with pepper, while salty-sweet seasoning is actually tare sauce made from mirin, soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Present-day versions of yakitori first appeared during the Meiji Era in the 19th century, but once chicken became abundantly available in the 1950s, the popularity of skewered chicken skyrocketed and the dish became popular among the masses. In Japan, yakitori can be purchased in specialized yakitori shops called yakitori-ya, but it is also often served in Japanese gastropubs known as izakaya. Since skewered chicken is so easy to prepare, plus it's portable, it is also a popular street food sold at yatai, the small Japanese food stalls. The dish is meant to be eaten with hands only, often directly off the skewer, and can be paired with a side of roasted vegetables, while each bite should ideally be washed down with ice-cold beer.

Yakitori

Azerbaijan's national dish is called yarpaq dolmasi, a savory meal consisting of vine leaves stuffed with chopped meat, onions, rice, salt, pepper, butter, and fresh herbs such as coriander, dill and mint. Dolma belongs to a family of stuffed dishes from the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and neighbouring regions such as Russia, Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central and South Asia. Locals claim that Azerbaijan has the best dolma in the world, and the reasoning behind it is that the grape vines originated in the mountainous valleys of their country. Yarpaq dolmasi is usually consumed in the afternoon or evening, for late lunch or dinner. It is an everyday dish, popular in equal measure at parties and weddings. Azerbaijani dolma differs from all the others because of its shape - it is small and round, unlike the elongated Turkish version. Enjoyed as a main course once or twice a week, yarpaq dolmasi is usually accompanied by a sauce based on yogurt and garlic, or clotted sour milk.

Yarpaq dolması

Yassa, also known as chicken yassa or poulet yassa, is Senegal's national dish, a stew consisting of chicken that is marinated in lemon, lots of onions, and vinegar. The chicken needs to marinate in the mixture for at least eight hours, making sure that the lemon juice and vinegar take the bite out of the onions and tenderize the tough poultry found in the Casamance region. Chicken pieces are then cooked over medium-high heat until the marinade becomes a sauce in itself. This process results in an incredibly flavorful and tender meat that is traditionally served with fluffy rice in brightly decorated plates. Other examples of good accompaniments include fufu and couscous, with or without the chickpeas. It is recommended to pair yassa with ginger beer or green tea with mint.

Yassa

Duck's head is a spicy local specialty from the Chinese city of Wuhan, but it is also a snack that is commonly eaten throughout China, most notably in Shanghai. The dish is made by stir-frying a head of duck with the addition of herbs and spices. Duck's head has a crispy taste as a result of the stir-frying method, and it is claimed to be a healthy food, with one of the duck's head store owners claiming that it helps one's brain power when consumed. Some say that the taste of the dish is not unlike eating a spicy chicken wing, while the others, such as Kellie Schmitt of CNN, describe it as one of Shanghai's weirdest foods. When the head is served, it should be pried open with one's fingers to get to the tender meat on the interior.

Ya tou

This hearty Greek soup couples tender beef meatballs and a creamy, flavorful broth. The meatballs and the broth are usually seasoned with various fresh herbs, and the whole dish is finished with the addition of avgolemono&mdash;the creamy egg and lemon sauce&mdash;which thickens the broth and adds the characteristical zesty flavor. Traditionally associated with wintertime, youvarlakia is usually accompanied by bread and enjoyed as a nutritious main course.

Youvarlakia

Croatia

Zagrebački odrezak is a Croatian meat dish consisting of veal cutlets that are pounded, filled with cheese and ham, rolled, breaded, then fried until golden and crispy. Nowadays, the dish has many variations and some cooks prepare it with pork, chicken, or turkey. It is important that the cheese melts well, and the ham should have minimal fat. Once prepared, this succulent meat dish is typically accompanied by lemon wedges, rice and peas, potatoes, and green salads.

Zagrebački odrezak

Iran

Zardak kebab is a traditional dish originating from the province of Isfahan. The dish is usually made with a combination of carrots, ground beef, eggs, gram flour, onions, sugar, salt, pepper, oil, saffron, and turmeric. The meat is mixed with salt, pepper, grated carrots, gram flour, beaten eggs, and onions. The mixture is shaped into meat patties (kebabs) that are fried in oil on both sides until fully cooked. A mixture of water, saffron, turmeric, and sugar is boiled until slightly thick, and the syrup is then poured over the fried kebabs. Before serving, zardak kebab is often garnished with chopped parsley.

Zardak kebab

Żeberka wędzone are Polish-style smoked ribs. This meat specialty is typically made with pork ribs soaked in brine with spices like bay leaves, marjoram, peppercorns, allspice, salt, and garlic cloves. The marinated ribs are then either cold-smoked or hot-smoked and consumed warm or chilled. Smoked pork ribs can be poached, paired with sauerkraut, or added to soups and stews for extra flavor.

Żeberka wędzone

Zec na hvarski is a traditional dish originating from the island of Hvar. The dish is made with a combination of rabbit, bay leaves, rosemary, celery, parsley, garlic, onions, salt, pepper, vinegar, cloves, oil, red wine, and pro&scaron;ek. The rabbit is marinated in a mixture of herbs, spices, vegetables, and vinegar for two days. It is then dried and baked in the oven with the oil and the vegetables from the marinade. Once baked, the rabbit is cut into pieces and placed in a pan with saut&eacute;ed onions. Red wine, pro&scaron;ek, salt, pepper, onions, cloves, bay leaves, and rosemary are added to the pan and the dish is simmered until the rabbit is tender. Once done, it&rsquo;s served with boiled potatoes sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Zec na hvarski

Zec na istarski is a traditional dish originating from Istria. The dish is made with a combination of rabbit, pancetta, onions, garlic, parsley, carrots, tomatoes, flour, oil, white wine, bay leaves, rosemary, and marjoram. The rabbit should be marinated overnight. It is then cut into cubes, fried in oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and taken out of the pan once browned. The pancetta, onions, garlic, and parsley are saut&eacute;ed in the same pan, dusted with flour, and mixed with chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, and rosemary. Once the mixture is bubbling, the meat is added back to the pan and simmered until everything is tender. Near the end of cooking, white wine is added to the dish and it's simmered for a few more minutes. It's recommended to serve this dish with gnocchi and a green salad on the side.

Zec na istarski

Istrian žgvacet od koko&scaron;i is typically prepared with chicken drumsticks and thighs, which are first pan seared and then simmered in a sauce based on tomatoes and onions. This rustic Croatian dish has its roots in Italian guazzetto which denotes a specific way of preparation, namely simmering the ingredients in a small amount of liquid. The dish is additionally flavored with rosemary or marjoram and traditionally served sided with Istrian pasta fuži, though it can also be enjoyed with potato dumplings or polenta. The authentic Istrian žgvacet is always made with chicken, but nowadays there are also other variations made with lamb or veal. In the neighboring Italian city of Trieste, the same dish is known as fusi con sugo di gallina istriana, or when it's served with tagliatelle, as tagliatelle con sugo di gallina istriana.

Žgvacet od kokoši

Žgvacet od teletine is a traditional dish originating from the region of Istria. The dish is usually made with a combination of veal, onions, garlic, tomatoes, white wine, basil, parsley, marjoram, flour, oil, salt, and pepper. The veal cubes are saut&eacute;ed in oil, followed by the addition of onions, garlic, and parsley to the pan. The mixture is seasoned with marjoram, basil, salt, and pepper, and it's then simmered in water or stock. Once the meat is tender, the dish is sprinkled with flour, stirred, covered with white wine, and simmered until the sauce becomes thick. Žgvacet od teletine is traditionally served with polenta or local fuži pasta on the side.

Žgvacet od teletine

Zhangcha duck is a duck smoked with tea and camfor, originating from the Chinese province of Sichuan which is famed for its spicy dishes. The preparation of this meal is a five-step process; first, it&rsquo;s marinated, then boiled, air-dried, smoked, and finally, fried. When served, pieces of duck meat are topped on gebao &mdash; a clam-shaped bun.

Zhangcha ya

Roast squabs, domesticated farm-raised young pigeons, are one of the unique delicacies originating from the Chinese Cantonese region. Traditionally, young squabs under four weeks of age are roasted and served whole, including the head and feet. To prepare the meat for roasting, squabs are usually marinated or shortly braised in hot water and left to dry. Before or during cooking, the insides are spiced with five spice powder, and squab's skin is glazed with a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, ginger, honey or sugar, and occasionally hoisin sauce. This technique provides the lacquered appearance, a dark amber color, and an incredibly crunchy texture of the skin. The five spice powder penetrates the meat from the inside and covers it in fragrant aromas. In Chinese culture, roast squabs are usually eaten on special occasions such as weddings and other formal gatherings, but are also available in many restaurants where they are served as a special delicacy. Outside of China, roast squabs can be found on the menus of some Chinese restaurants, accompanied by vegetables and soy or hoisin sauce on the side.

Zha ru ge

Zigeunerschnitzel is a German specialty consisting of a thin, breaded, and pan-fried veal cutlet (but pork, or chicken can also be used) that is finished with a spicy sauce on top just before serving. This schnitzel was named after the sauce it is topped with, which is called zigeuner sauce or gypsy sauce and is typically made with a combination of bell peppers of different colors, onions, tomato paste or tomatoes, mushrooms, wine, water, broth, and spices such as sweet and hot paprika. In Germany, the dish is not a common home-cooked meal but a typical food item that can be enjoyed at restaurants, cafeterias, and food stalls. Zigeunerschnitzel is usually accompanied by sides such as french fries, salzkartoffeln (salt potatoes), and salads, but it also pairs well with rice or sp&auml;tzle. The name of this dish has been deemed offensive and politically incorrect toward the Romani people, which has led to a ban of its use in some parts of Germany and the rise of alternative names for this schnitzel such as balkanschnitzel or paprikaschnitzel.

Zigeunerschnitzel

Zigni or kai wat is a traditional dish with a spicy flavor. This stew consists of cubed meat (mostly beef), onions, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste, and it is typically flavored with berbere spice blend, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and coriander. It is recommended to serve zigni with injera flatbread on the side. Although zigni is considered the national dish of Eritrea, it is also popular in Ethiopia, where it is known as kai wat.

Zigni

Netherlands

Zoervleis is an authentic delicacy originating from the province of Limburg. Although it is traditionally made with horse meat that is marinated in vinegar (hence the name, sour flesh), nowadays there are modern versions which use beef instead. The stew is additionally enriched by the addition of bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, appelstroop (apple syrup), and pieces of Dutch gingerbread known as ontbijtkoek. Due to the formation of a thick gravy during the cooking process, zoervleis is almost always accompanied by fries, similar to the wildly popular Canadian poutine.

Zoervleis

The term zrazy encompasses a wide variety of traditional Polish meat dishes. It may refer to pounded and braised cutlets, but nowadays the name is used almost interchangeably for various types of stuffed meat rolls, known in Poland as zrazy zawijane. Every variety of zrazy is usually made with beef, but pork or game are also occasionally used. One vital element for any zrazy is to use boneless meat and pound it until thin. Plain zrazy are usually seasoned, pan-fried, and served with an accompanying sauce. Zrazy zawijane roulade is a bit more complicated, as it incorporates many ingredients and combinations of stuffing. Traditional fillings include onions, dried or saut&eacute;ed mushrooms, bacon, and sliced pickles, but potatoes or sliced hard-boiled eggs are also common. Zrazy are usually firmly rolled, dusted with flour, and flash-fried before being braised in stock until the meat is thoroughly cooked and tenderized. Both plain and rolled zrazy are always served doused in a creamy sauce made with the flavorful stock in which the meat was braised, usually with the addition of cream or tomatoes, onions, and various spices. Buckwheat porridge is traditionally served as a side dish, but boiled or mashed potatoes, beets, rice, and even the famous pierogi often find themselves plated up with a tender zrazy. Even though many believe this to be an authentic Polish dish, similar meat dishes are found all across Central and Eastern Europe. Polish zrazy differ from the eponymous dish found in Lithuania and Ukraine, which usually refers to stuffed meatballs or potato dumplings.