Pork Souvlaki

La storia di questo piatto

The souvlaki is the heartbeat of Greece pressed onto a skewer — born in the agoras of ancient cities, passed from hand to hand through centuries of sun-drenched afternoons, it is the flavor that unites fishermen, philosophers, and wanderers under the same Aegean sky.

Ingredienti

• 800 g Pork (shoulder or loin)
• 3 pieces Fresh lemon
• 100 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dried oregano
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Sea salt
• ½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pieces Red onion
• 2 pieces Colored bell peppers

Preparazione

1. Cut the pork into cubes approximately 4-5 centimeters on each side. Here's how to do it: place the meat on your cutting board and first cut it into vertical strips of the thickness you want, then rotate the strips and cut again in the perpendicular direction, creating cubes. Put all the pieces into a large bowl. This is important: the cubes must all be the same size so they cook evenly and none will end up undercooked or dry.
2. Squeeze the lemon: cut it in half and press it with your hands or use a citrus juicer, extracting all the juice. For the garlic: remove the skin, place it on the flat side of your knife against the edge of the cutting board, press down with the palm of your hand until it crushes, then mince it finely with quick, regular chopping motions, making them progressively smaller until it becomes almost a paste. In another bowl pour the lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Stir with a spoon for about a minute until the mixture becomes uniform: you'll see the garlic distributed everywhere and the oil binding all the ingredients together.
3. Pour the marinade liquid over the meat in the bowl. Mix with your hands or a spoon until every piece of pork is completely wetted and submerged in the liquid. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Let it rest for at least 4 hours: during this time the lemon juice softens the meat and the garlic penetrates inside, making the meat more juicy and flavorful. If you can wait 8 hours, the flavor will be even more intense.
4. Remove the pork from the refrigerator. Cut the onion and peppers into cubes approximately 3-4 centimeters, the same size as the meat pieces so they cook together. Soak the wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes to prevent them from burning on the grill. Take a skewer and thread the ingredients alternating them: a piece of pork, then onion, then pepper, then pork again. Continue until the skewer is full, distributing everything uniformly without gaps: the ingredients should touch each other.
5. Turn on the grill or griddle to maximum heat. Wait until it's very hot: hold your hand about 10 centimeters above the surface and you should feel intense heat. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook them 2-3 minutes per side, turning them when you see the surface of the pork becomes golden with the edges slightly darkened: this is the caramelization, which creates the dark, delicious crust. In total it will take about 8-10 minutes. The meat is ready when: on the outside it's golden and slightly smoky, on the inside it's no longer pink. To check, cut a piece with a knife: the juice that comes out must be clear and colorless, not red.
6. Transfer the skewers to a plate immediately while they're still hot. Warm the pita: you can place it in a pan for 30 seconds per side over medium heat, or in the oven for 2 minutes. It should become soft and warm, not crispy. In the meantime slice the fresh tomatoes into rounds and cut the lemon into wedges. Assemble on the plate: position the warm pita as the base, spread the cold tzatziki on one side (the contrast between hot and cold makes the flavor stand out), the hot skewers in the center, and around them the tomatoes and lemons. If you want a side dish, prepare a Greek salad: cut tomatoes into pieces, cucumbers into small cubes, add black olives and feta cubes, dress with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of dried oregano.