Souvlaki

evelyn/athens's Note:

This is the way I do souvlaki or shish kebab - and I mean the sandwich with pita bread you can find on nearly every street corner in Greece, not just the skewered meat. This is the best! Prep time does not include marinating time. OAMC instructions provided.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 8.0 souvlaki

Meat and Marinade

• 1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloins, cut up into 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch cubes (or the meat of your choice)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (not traditional, but I like the flavour it adds)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (I use a whole dried one, crumbled)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 lemon, juice of

Fixings

• 1 (8 count) package greek pita bread
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 1 large tomato, sliced thin
• 1 cup tzatziki (Tzatziki)
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

1. To marinate meat: Cut tenderloin into bite-size chunks and put into a Tupperware with remaining marinade ingredients.
2. Swish everything around to distribute, put in fridge and forget for a day (this long marination is not absolutely necessary- but longer means more flavour. If you haven't the time, just do what you can).
3. When ready to BBQ, skewer meat onto metal or wooden skewers (remember to soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 1/2 an hour first) and bbq until the meat is nicely brown all over, and you know you can't possibly wait any longer to eat.
4. To prepare the fixings: As you are barbecuing the meat, brush as many pita breads as there are souvlaki generously with olive oil and put on the bbq to crisp slightly or alternatively, into a hot frying pan, and cook about 30-45 seconds per side or until starting to brown and give off a yummy,'toasty' smell.
5. Here is the 'technique' part.
6. Have cut some squares of foil a bit larger than the pita breads.
7. Put a square in the palm of your hand and lay a pita in the centre sitting in your flat palm.
8. Take a skewer of meat and place in center of pita.
9. Squeeze palm shut around meat to get a grip with the pita and pull out skewer, leaving meat inside the bread.
10. Open up your palm slightly, making the pita gape open and throw in some onion, slices of tomato, a good dollop of tzatziki, some parsley, along with a healthy shake of salt.
11. Roll sandwich up by squeezing palm again (gently this time as the salad stuff is inside) and enclosing neatly with the foil, giving a twist on the bottom so no yummy juices drip out onto your clothes as you are eating this!
12. Enjoy our contribution to fast-food!
13. You will never settle for a Big Mac again!
14. To freeze: Place meat and marinade in a freezer bag or rigid freezer container.
15. To serve: Thaw in fridge overnight and proceed with cooking directions.

Reviews

[Chef #820705]

Works great on our indoor grill as well!

[Chef #635691]

Just made this today, and, as expected, I didn't like the addition of Worcestershire sauce. It doesn't taste authentic to me. Two weeks ago a Greek colleague of my hubby's came over with a plate of pork souvlaki for grilling. She had told me what she used to make this in general terms--the same basic ingredients as in this recipe, but no Worcestershire sauce. I personally liked the taste much better. I'd make this again, but would omit the W sauce. Thanks!

[Karen From Colorado]

Great sandwich! I loved the flavor of the meat. I used pork cut into bite size chunks. I think next time (and yes, there will definitely be a next time) I think I will cut it into thin strips rather then into chunks simply because I think it will be easier to eat without the meat falling out of the end. I allowed for the long overnight marinade time and I used the Worcestershire sauce. I don't care for raw onions so I sliced a cucumber into thin slices and garnished the sandwich with them and some torn Romaine as well as the tomatoes the recipe calls for. I served it with your Tzatziki recipe. I made some French fries to go with it. It was a meal that I will enjoy again often. Thank you for posting this delightful recipe.