Meat Dish

Greece

Greek sofrito is a dish consisting of tender cuts of beef or veal that are lightly dredged in flour and then slowly saut&eacute;ed in a flavorful sauce based on white wine, which is additionally seasoned with garlic, parsley, and vinegar. Though it is considered a delicacy that hails from Corfu, it is commonly enjoyed throughout the country. Because the term sofrito stems from the Italian language, meaning to saut&eacute;e, and the whole island was under the Venetian rule for centuries, it is believed that the dish was inspired by traditional Venetian cuisine. Greek sofrito is typically accompanied by rice, potatoes, or crusty bread.

Sofrito

Though its name stems from the Turkish soğan dolması, which translates as stuffed onions, this dish is a part of traditional Bosnian cuisine. It consists of onion bulbs that are blanched and stuffed with a flavorful combination of minced meat, rice, various spices, and (optionally) onions and grated carrots. When stuffed, the bulbs are layered and slowly cooked in the oven, usually in a small amount of water. The final addition is a layer of sour cream or a combination of flour and paprika, typically generously smeared on top. Sogan-dolma is a Bosnian classic, enjoyed throughout the country, although it is typically associated with the southern regions. The dish is best enjoyed with an additional scoop of sour cream or yogurt, lemon wedges, and country-style bread.

Sogan-dolma

Often considered to be the predecessor to cholent, s&oacute;let is a Hungarian-Jewish stew that is traditionally slowly cooked on Friday night before the Sabbath. The stew consists of beans, paprika, onions, potatoes, boiled eggs, and meat such as smoked pork, duck, beef, or goose. The next day, this hearty and nutritious stew is ready to be consumed.

Sólet

Spain

Solomillo al Cabrales is a traditional dish originating from the region of Asturias. The dish is usually made with a combination of beef tenderloin, Cabrales cheese, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The tenderloin is brushed with olive oil, then placed over thyme in a roasting pan and roasted until medium-rare. The thyme is discarded, and the tenderloin is then seared over high heat, removed from the pan, and wrapped in foil. After a few minutes, the meat is cut into small cubes (or thick slices for a main dish) that are arranged on a warmed plate. Each piece is sprinkled with sea salt and black pepper, then topped with a piece of strong blue cheese and drizzled with olive oil. The dish is served while still warm, usually as a tapa.

Solomillo al Cabrales

Solomillo al whisky is a traditional dish originating from Seville. The dish consists of pork tenderloin in a garlicky whisky sauce and it's made with a combination of medallions of pork tenderloin, flour, lemon juice, garlic, whisky, olive oil, stock, and often potatoes. The meat is browned, then removed from the pan so that the sauce can be prepared. When the sauce has reduced, the meat is added back to the pan until warm. It's recommeneded to serve solomillo al whisky with potatoes or bread to mop up the juices. This classic dish is a staple of Seville's tapas bars.

Solomillo al whisky

Italy

Originally cooked very slowly in earthenware pots in the oven, this obscure Italian dish hails from Treviso and can best be described as almost-a-lasagne, consisting of layers of pigeon meat and bread, covered with cheese and doused in pigeon broth before baking. The resulting dish is traditionally served in more of the same broth. In order to prepare it, you'll need a full list of ingredients: pigeon meat, olive oil, stock, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary, sage, red wine, rustic bread, and grated parmesan. It is recommended to serve sopa co&agrave;da with a bit more grated cheese on top and maybe a drizzle of olive oil.

Sopa coàda

Sosatie is a South African meat dish consisting of pieces of lamb that are marinated in a sauce made with onions, garlic, hot peppers, tamarind juice, and curry leaves. The meat is then skewered and barbecued on a traditional South African braai. It is recommended to add peppers, apricots, prunes, or mushrooms between each piece of skewered meat for the best flavor. Although lamb or mutton is the most typical choice, it can be replaced with beef or chicken. It is recommended to serve sosaties with rice or a salad on the side.

Sosatie

Soslu d&ouml;ner, particularly in the style of Hatay, is a Turkish dish where marinated and cooked meat, often chicken, is combined with a flavorful sauce and wrapped in flatbread. The preparation involves marinating thinly sliced chicken breasts in a mixture of tomato paste, yogurt, and spices such as cumin, black pepper, mint, red pepper flakes, and salt. After allowing the meat to marinate for a few hours, it is spit-roasted and cooked on a vertical rotisserie or, for at-home preparation, saut&eacute;ed until fully cooked. A sauce is prepared by saut&eacute;ing pepper paste in oil, then adding water and spices like thyme, cumin, mint, and red pepper powder, simmering briefly. Lavaş bread is dipped into this sauce to absorb the flavors. The cooked chicken is then placed onto the sauced bread, along with additions like fried potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.

Soslu döner

A classic meat souffl&eacute; known as souffl&eacute; au poulet is made with a creamy chicken mixture that is smothered in whipped egg whites, and then baked until nicely colored and puffed up. The base of the dish is typically made with cream of chicken soup or b&eacute;chamel sauce with pieces of chicken, egg yolks, and vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, or asparagus. Other typical ingredients used in the base include mushrooms, bread cubes, cheese, and fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, thyme, and dill. The chicken mixture is then combined with whipped egg whites before the whole thing is spooned into a greased baking dish or individual ramekins and baked. The dish is usually enjoyed warm as a main meal.

Soufflé au poulet

United States

South Carolina barbecue is mostly based on pork. Sometimes it's pulled from a whole hog and sometimes the meat is chopped from a shoulder or ham. The meat is traditionally cooked and smoked over hardwood such as oak or hickory. What sets apart South Carolina barbecue from North Carolina-style barbecue is the yellow Carolina Gold sauce in the Midlands, consisting of cider vinegar, yellow mustard, spices, honey, and brown sugar, while the Pee Dee region uses a fiery sauce based on vinegar and pepper.

South Carolina-Style Barbecue

Thailand

Hat Yai is a traditional chicken dish originating from Thailand, also known as Southern Thai fried chicken. The origins of the dish are in the Hat Yai city in southern Thailand, hence the name. In order to prepare it, bone-in, skin-on chicken is marinated in a combination of garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, salt, white and black pepper, and coriander. The chicken is dipped in batter and fried in hot oil until golden brown. It is then topped with crispy fried shallots and served, usually with rice or a dipping sauce such as nam chim kai (sweet chili sauce) on the side.

Southern Thai Fried Chicken

South Texas-style barbecue is an American regional barbecue style in which it's all about barbacoa and cow heads &ndash; they are cooked in a pit lined with stones or bricks, and then a mesquite fire is started in the bottom of the pit. Agave leaves are placed on top of the coals, and the heads (or other meat) are placed on top of it, while the leaves are folded over before the lid is placed over the pit. The resulting meat is so tender that it falls off the bone (or off the skull), and it is then served by the pound with sided such as onions, tortillas, cilantro, and various salsas. This barbecue style also uses cabrito &ndash; young goats that are spit-roasted or cooked over coals.

South Texas-Style Barbecue

This Cypriot-style barbecue dish is made with seasoned and marinated meat, typically lamb, pork, or chicken, which is placed on a long skewer and slow-roasted over an open fire. The marinating process makes the meat incredibly tender and succulent, and the meat is basted as it roasts, improving the texture and flavor even further. There is also a number of local varieties of the dish, and the best-known variety is known as Lysiotiki souvla from the village of Lysi. The dish is typically prepared for Christmas and Easter, but is also served on other festive occasions. It is served with a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice, a side of baked potatoes, and a salad.

Souvla

Souvlaki is one of the most popular Greek dishes, consisting of small cubes of skewered and grilled pork, chicken, lamb, or beef. It is a popular fast food item that is usually served in souvladzidika, small eateries that also often serve gyros and other similar grilled meat dishes. Souvlaki first appeared in ancient Greece, when it was called kandaulos, consisting of a combination of grilled meat, pita bread, cheese, and dill. The name of the dish is a diminutive of the Greek word souvla, meaning spit. The first souvlaki shop opened in Livadia in 1951, and today, souvlaki is sold in almost every Greek city, ordered as a takeaway, on the beaches, or on numerous street corners. It is usually served with a slice of bread or pita bread, tomatoes, parsley, onions, sometimes chips, and thick yogurt or tzatziki. There's also an oversized variety of souvlaki called kontosouvli in which large chunks of marinated meat, onions, tomatoes, and peppers are cooked on long and slim skewers over charcoal.

Souvlaki

Azerbaijan's national dish is called soyutma, meaning long and slow-cooked meat. There are two versions of the dish in Azerbaijani cuisine - one is prepared with lamb, the other one with chicken meat. The meat is boiled in water for a long time, and can be served either as a main course or as a side dish. Traditional garnishes include sliced tomatoes and raw onion rings, while a dollop of sour cream is usually placed on top of the meat before serving.

Soyutma

Contrary to popular belief, spaghetti and meatballs is not an Italian dish, and if one travels to Italy, it will appear on some menus simply to satisfy the appetites of some American tourists. Consisting of spaghetti combined with tomato sauce and ground beef meatballs, the dish was originally invented by Italian immigrants who came to America in the 19th century. Since canned tomatoes were among the only items available in stores, home cooks used to prepare a rich marinara sauce with garlic, oil, and tomatoes. Spaghetti were also one of the only Italian ingredients available in stores, so the thin, long pasta also became more popular in the homes of newly arrived immigrants. Combined with flavorful, big meatballs, this hearty meal was created as one of the true symbols of Italian-American cuisine, although the dish is not Italian in origin.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Who thought that only six ingredients in a can would become America's national dish? The square-shaped mixture of pork, water, salt, sugar, potato starch, and sodium nitrate called Spam sold more than eight billion cans since the product was made available in 1937. Cooked under vacuum pressure, this great source of protein was invented by Jay Hormel, who canned the shoulder of a pig with added spices, regardless of his competition that used lips, snouts, and ears in their cans. As a way of separating his product, he decided to reduce the size of the can and design a visually attractive label. The product's popularity and sales skyrocketed after World War II when it was sent abroad to satiate the hunger of American soldiers, its indefinite shelf life making it possible to be shipped all over the world without spoiling. Hormel's active advertisements, as well as praise from Eisenhower, Thatcher and Khrushchev also didn't hinder its success. Spam even appeared in Monthy Python's Flying Circus, a famous British comedy show, further increasing the product's popularity in the United Kingdom. From regular Spam over Turkey Spam to Spam-Lite, consumers are coming up with new ways to incorporate Spam into dishes, and it seems that its popularity will never fade, especially in Hawaii, where it is so popular that it has even been nicknamed the Hawaiian steak, which was incorporated into a Hawaiian dish called Spam musubi, an ingenious sushi-style slice of Spam with seaweed and rice.

Spam

Spanferkel is the German version of roasted suckling pig. Whether it is prepared cut or whole, the piglet is usually roasted in the oven or on a spit, and comes in numerous regional varieties that are often smothered in oil or butter, stuffed, then seasoned or rubbed with spices. In Germany, suckling pig is traditionally associated with festive and special occasions and is usually accompanied by a sauce made from meat drippings, or various vegetables and salads.

Spanferkel

In German butchery, spannrippe is a cut of beef derived from the forequarter, specifically the lower rib section, which is situated towards the belly of the animal. Spannrippe contains relatively lean meat with noticeable fibrous muscles. Its location on the animal means it has a good amount of connective tissue. Due to the exercise this part of the cow gets, it has a pronounced beefy flavor. Like other tough cuts, spannrippe is ideally suited for slow-cooking methods that allow its collagen and connective tissues to break down over time. It can be braised, stewed, or slow-roasted. In German cuisine, it might be used in hearty stews or traditional soups. To harness the full potential of the spannrippe, it's best to cook it slowly and gently. The collagen-rich tissues will break down, turning into gelatin, which adds richness to the dish. Browning the meat before stewing or braising can add depth to the final flavor. The beefy taste of the spannrippe pairs well with robust flavors. Root vegetables, aromatic herbs, and rich broths or wines can complement and enhance the meat's inherent flavors. Ingredients like onions, garlic, bay leaves, and juniper berries are often used in German dishes with such cuts.

Spannrippe

Spezzatino con piselli is a traditional pork dish originating from Italy. The dish is usually made with a combination of pork, tomatoes, garlic, onions, red wine, peas, butter, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. The onions and garlic are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil until soft. Pork is cut into cubes and browned in the same pot, and it's then seasoned with salt and pepper. Red wine, pur&eacute;ed tomatoes, and peas are mixed into the stew and simmered gently for about an hour. The stew is then ready to be served in warm bowls or large serving dishes.