Late summer is nigh, treating us to those seemingly endless and heat-filled days. It is exactly then that we love to gather with friends and family alike and fire up the grill. Today we’re treating our guests to souvlaki, a true Greek classic.
Souvlaki: Tastes As Good as It Sounds
Souvlaki is a Greek-style of grilled meat served on a skewer. While you can find different kinds of meat used for souvlaki, the most common is pork! Which is what we have also opted for. Before heading to the grill, you will want to prep your souvlaki in advance.
Central this recipe is the flavor, which comes from marinating the pork! For the marinade, we keep it simple with a marinade consisting of lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and oregano. This light yet flavorful dish is epecially wonderful when joined with fresh accompaniments like pita bread, tzatziki, onions, fresh salad, and delicious spices. They taste best from the grill, of course, but are also a delight from the oven.
Souvlaki is incredibly straight-forwad to make, with one trick: The meat should marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour. This ensures that all the flavor of the marinade sets in properly! Okay, okay, one more tip: If you are using wooden skewers, do soak them in water before setting them on the girll. This will prevent the skewers from catching on fire!
What makes souvlaki so special is their simplicity. With just a few ingredients, you can conjure up a delicious barbecue treat without a lot of preparation and without having to stand at the grill or stove forever. You can also marinate the skewers the day before without any problems, so you can put them straight on the grill when hunger (and/or party) strikes.
For other grill inspiration, check out our 3 great grilling recipes, spicy BBQ bacon burger dogs with steak fries salad, and 5 BBQ recipes.
SOUVLAKI: GREEK SKEWERS
- Prep time: 25 min
- Marinating time: 1 hr
- Total time: 1 hr 25 min
- Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 lb boneless pork
INSTRUCTIONS
- Juice the lemon into a medium bowl.
- Peel and crush the garlic. Add to the lemon juice.
- Mix in the oil and season with salt and oregano. Set the marinade aside, and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Rinse the pork, pat it dry, and cut it into bite-sized cubes.
- Pour the marinade evenly over the cubes. Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour..
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for 5 minutes.
- Take the marinated pork out from the fridge and let it drain slightly. Thread it onto the skewers. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Grill until the meat is evenly cooked.