Souvlaki

Greek Pork Souvlaki with Pita and Tzatziki

Classic Greek street food: cubes of pork shoulder marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic and dried oregano, grilled over high heat until charred at the edges and juicy inside, then tucked into warm pita with tomato, onion, chips and a generous spoonful of tzatziki.

Prep

40 min

Cook

15 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •700 g (1½ lb) pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes, boneless, with some fat for juiciness; chicken thigh works the same way
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• •1 whole lemon, juiced (about 50 ml / 3 tbsp)
• •3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• •2 tsp dried Greek oregano, Greek oregano if possible; do not substitute Mexican oregano
• •1 tsp fine sea salt
• •freshly ground black pepper, ½
• •4 whole pita breads, warmed, soft pocket-style pita
• •2 whole ripe tomatoes, sliced
• •1 whole red onion, sliced into rings
• •200 g (7 oz) tzatziki, about 4 heaped tbsp; see recipe below if making from scratch
• •200 g (7 oz) potatoes (for chips / patates tiganites), optional, for the traditional pita filling; cut into 1 cm batons
• •8 whole wooden or metal skewers, if wooden, soak in water 30 minutes

Steps

1. 1 In a large bowl whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the pork cubes and toss well to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2–4 hours.
2. 2 If using the optional chips: heat 1 cm of neutral oil in a small pan to 170°C / 340°F. Fry the potato batons in batches for 4–5 minutes until golden and just tender. Drain on paper and salt while hot.
3. 3 Thread the marinated pork onto skewers, leaving a little space between cubes so they cook evenly. You should have enough for 6–8 skewers.
4. 4 Prepare a hot grill: charcoal is traditional and gives the smoky edge; alternatively preheat a grill pan or broiler on its highest setting for 5–10 minutes until very hot.
5. 5 Grill the skewers over high heat for about 8–10 minutes total, turning every 2 minutes, until the meat is deeply browned at the edges and cooked through. The interior should read 71°C / 160°F on an instant-read thermometer and the juices should run clear with no pink near the bone or in the centre.
6. 6 Warm the pita breads on the grill for 15–20 seconds per side, just until soft and pliable. Keep covered in a clean tea towel.
7. 7 To serve, lay a warm pita on a plate, smear generously with tzatziki, add a skewer's worth of pork, top with sliced tomato, onion rings and a handful of chips. Wrap the pita around the filling and eat immediately, or slide the meat off the skewer straight into the bread.
8. 8 MAKING THE TZATZIKI (if from scratch): line a sieve with cheesecloth and drain 200 g / 7 oz thick Greek-style yogurt for 15 minutes to remove excess whey. Stir in ½ grated cucumber that has been firmly squeezed dry, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a small pinch of dried mint. Chill until serving.