Pork Skewers (Souvlaki)

Name: Pork Skewers (Souvlaki)
Prep time: 1 h 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 4 pieces
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: skewers; 300g pork neck; salt; black pepper; chili flakes; 2 tablespoons oil; dried oregano; 1/2 lemon; pita; 250g all-purpose flour; 150ml water; 1/2 packet dry yeast; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; dried oregano; coarse salt; 2 tablespoons olive oil; herb yogurt; 200g greek yogurt; 1 sprig dill; 2 sprigs parsley; 2 italian basil leaves (or 20 greek basil leaves); 4-5 mint leaves; 2 tablespoons olive oil; salt

September 17, 2013

Dough Pork Budget Recipes Grilling Recipes Meat Dishes Greek

A complete Greek meal: pork skewers, grilled pita, and herb yogurt sauce.
Kali Orexi (good appetite in Greek).

Today I introduce you to Basilicos (nicknamed Vasilica): it is a type of basil called Greek basil. It has tiny leaves and an aroma of basil and anise. It grows as a lush bush, so it can also be used as a decorative plant. How lucky, it is both beautiful and tasty, no wonder it is called "the king" 😉

Ingredients

Skewers

300g pork neck
salt
black pepper
chili flakes
2 tablespoons oil

dried oregano
1/2 lemon

Pita

250g all-purpose flour
150ml water
1/2 packet dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

dried oregano
coarse salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Herb Yogurt

200g Greek yogurt
1 sprig dill
2 sprigs parsley
2 Italian basil leaves (or 20 Greek basil leaves)
4-5 mint leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Servings: 4

How to prepare pork skewers (souvlaki)

Knead a simple dough from flour, water, dry yeast, oil, salt, and sugar. I put the dough in a bread machine on the kneading and rising program (1:10 h). If kneading by hand, after it becomes elastic, let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, cut the meat into 1.5-2 cm cubes. Thread the cubes onto wooden skewers (soaked in water for 15 minutes) or metal ones. Sprinkle with salt (a bit more than you would normally use) on all sides. Let sit at room temperature until the dough has risen (about 1 hour). During this time, the meat will marinate with salt and come to room temperature.
When the dough has doubled in volume, stretch it lightly with your hand and fold it in thirds. Stretch it once more and fold it again in thirds from the opposite side. Place it in a bowl greased with a little oil. Let the dough rise once more in a warm place for 1 hour.
Prepare the sauce: mix the yogurt with finely chopped herbs, oil, and salt to taste.
Sprinkle the skewers with black pepper and chili flakes. Then brush them with oil on all sides. Let them sit until you need them.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Cut it into four equal pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a thin round sheet, about 2-3 mm thick. Prick the sheet with a fork all over the surface (but do not press hard enough for the tines to go through to the other side).
Heat a grill pan over high heat for 5 minutes. Cook each bread over medium heat, one at a time, for 2.5 minutes per side (it will get beautiful grill marks).
When you remove the bread from the pan, immediately brush it with olive oil on the first side you cooked (it is the prettier side). Sprinkle oregano and coarse salt on top.
Cover the breads with foil and keep them in a warm place until you need them.
When you have finished cooking all the breads, heat the pan again over high heat for 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low. Place the skewers on the grill (spaced apart) and cook for 4-4.5 minutes per side. If they do not all fit at once, cook in batches.
Remove the skewers to a large plate. Drizzle the skewers with lemon juice on both sides and then sprinkle with oregano. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
Serve immediately.