Over the years I have periodically been asked questions about the preparation of souvlakia. So--since I was having them for dinner this evening--I decided to post the process.
First, a little history: In Greek culture, the practice of cooking food on spits or skewers dates back to the Bronze Age. Souvlakia were a popular delicacy in Santorini back in 2000 BC. Excavations of the area have unearthed stone cooking supports that had indentations that were likely used for holding skewers and lines of holes in the base that allowed the coals to be supplied with air. Fortunately today we have the luxury of charcoal grills.
Traditionally souvlakia are prepared with lamb, but lamb is so expensive these days that I opted to make mine with pork and chicken instead. (Souvlakia can be made with lamb, beef, pork, chicken, or even wild game.)
Ingredients:
Combine the marinade with the meat chunks, cover the bowls with plastic wrap , and let the meat chunks marinate over night.
Lift the chunks of meat from the marinade and thread the pieces onto the skewers. (If you are using wooden skewers soak them in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning because these usually get hellishly hot!)
Grill the kebabs making sure to turn them every five minutes or so. Since I was using pork and chicken, I cooked the kebabs until the internal temperatures were 165˚ for the chicken and 150˚ for the pork.
Looking good!
You can also use the hot coals to toast the pita bread until nicely colored on both sides.
Place the meat chunks onto the warmed pita bread. Cover the meat with shredded lettuce, onions, tomato chunks, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.
(Store bought tzatziki sauce works fine, but if anyone needs the recipe for a homemade version, I will be happy to send it to you.)
Fold the pita bread like a taco and have at it!
I hope you enjoyed my presentation as much as I enjoyed my souvlakia!
Thanks for viewing,
John
First, a little history: In Greek culture, the practice of cooking food on spits or skewers dates back to the Bronze Age. Souvlakia were a popular delicacy in Santorini back in 2000 BC. Excavations of the area have unearthed stone cooking supports that had indentations that were likely used for holding skewers and lines of holes in the base that allowed the coals to be supplied with air. Fortunately today we have the luxury of charcoal grills.
Traditionally souvlakia are prepared with lamb, but lamb is so expensive these days that I opted to make mine with pork and chicken instead. (Souvlakia can be made with lamb, beef, pork, chicken, or even wild game.)
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of lamb (or meat of your choice) cut into chunks
- 1/3 C olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- juice of one lemon
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 red onions, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp dried Greek oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- pita bread
- feta chese
- tzatziki sauce
Combine the marinade with the meat chunks, cover the bowls with plastic wrap , and let the meat chunks marinate over night.
Lift the chunks of meat from the marinade and thread the pieces onto the skewers. (If you are using wooden skewers soak them in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning because these usually get hellishly hot!)
Grill the kebabs making sure to turn them every five minutes or so. Since I was using pork and chicken, I cooked the kebabs until the internal temperatures were 165˚ for the chicken and 150˚ for the pork.
Looking good!
You can also use the hot coals to toast the pita bread until nicely colored on both sides.
Place the meat chunks onto the warmed pita bread. Cover the meat with shredded lettuce, onions, tomato chunks, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.
(Store bought tzatziki sauce works fine, but if anyone needs the recipe for a homemade version, I will be happy to send it to you.)
Fold the pita bread like a taco and have at it!
I hope you enjoyed my presentation as much as I enjoyed my souvlakia!
Thanks for viewing,
John
