Souvla

Souvla (Cypriot Slow-Roasted Pork on a Long Skewer)

Souvla is Cyprus's contribution to the long-spit grilling tradition: large chunks of pork threaded on a thick skewer and turned slowly over charcoal for 2–3 hours until deeply browned outside and still juicy inside. It's a weekend cookout dish meant for a crowd, served simply with lemon, bread, and salad.

Prep

25 min

Cook

150 min

Total

175 min

Serves

6–8

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.5 kg (3¼ lb) pork shoulder or leg, bone-in, cut into large 5–7 cm / 2–2¾ in chunks; lamb shoulder is the classic alternative
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, Cypriot or Greek if possible
• •30 g (¼ cup) dried oregano, Greek or Cypriot mountain oregano, rubbed between the palms
• •10 g (1½ Tbsp) coarse sea salt, or flaky Maldon
• •2 whole lemons, 1 juiced for marinade, 1 cut into wedges for serving
• •4 cloves garlic, crushed
• •3 kg (6½ lb) charcoal (lump), a two-zone fire with a long, slow-burning bed of embers is essential; gas is not a true substitute
• •1 skewer thick metal souvlaki/souvla skewer, about 1 m / 3 ft long, flat or square profile so meat grips; a clean rotisserie spit is the home-kitchen stand-in

Steps

1. 1 Pat the pork chunks dry. In a large bowl toss them with olive oil, oregano, salt, crushed garlic, and the juice of 1 lemon. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or covered in the refrigerator for 4–8 hours; bring back to room temperature before grilling.
2. 2 About 45 minutes before cooking, light the charcoal and let it burn down to a deep bed of glowing embers with a thin layer of white ash - no flames. Rake the embers into a narrow trench running the length of the skewer so heat is concentrated beneath the meat.
3. 3 Thread the pork chunks tightly onto the skewer, packing them together so they support each other; this is what keeps the juices inside. Leave about 10 cm / 4 in bare at each end to balance on supports.
4. 4 Set up two supports (bricks, a turned-over metal bucket with a slot, or purpose-built spit stands) so the skewer sits 15–20 cm / 6–8 in above the embers and can be turned by hand. If using a rotisserie spit, mount it on a grill with the motor set low; prop the lid open.
5. 5 Begin turning the skewer slowly and continuously - roughly one full rotation every 1–2 minutes - so the meat cooks evenly and renders fat without charring. Maintain steady ember heat; do not add fresh coals in the first 60 minutes, or fat dripping into flame will flare and burn the outside.
6. 6 Cook for 2½–3 hours total, adjusting the height of the skewer up or down as embers die down to keep the heat gentle and consistent. The pork is done when the exterior is deep mahogany-brown and crisp at the edges, and the interior reaches 74°C / 165°F on an instant-read thermometer (USDA safe temperature for whole-muscle pork). At this point the meat should still feel bouncy and moist, not shrunken and dry.
7. 7 Rest the skewer on its supports for 10 minutes, then slide the meat off with tongs. Cut the chunks into thick slices across the grain and pile onto a platter. Finish with a squeeze of the remaining lemon, an extra sprinkle of oregano, and a drizzle of raw olive oil. Serve with village bread, tomato-cucumber salad, and chilled wine or Keo beer.