Greek Pork Souvlaki are mouth-watering, juicy and smoky pieces of tender pork grilled on skewers. Souvlaki is a popular street food in Greece, served traditionally in a pita bread wrap and garnished with salad and sauces. Enjoy delicious Greek street food in the comfort of your home with this easy-to-make recipe.

HISTORY OF SOUVLAKI.

The word souvlaki comes from the Greek word souvla, which means spit. Excavation in Akrotiri on the Greek island of Santorini found evidence that skewers were used for cooking as early as the 17th century BC.

The first recorded references for souvlaki are from the Byzantine era and describe street vendors selling souvlaki in pita in Constantinople.

Similar cooking methods have been used all over the Balkan peninsula throughout the centuries. In Bulgaria, grilled meat on skewers is known as shishche, in Turkey as shish kebab, in Serbia as raznjici and in Romania as frigarui. Although the spicing of the marinade can differ according to region, lemon juice is a common ingredient in most Balkan marinades for pork skewers.

In most parts of the Balkans, grilled meat on skewers is commonly served with fresh salad, relishes and fries, except in Greece and Turkey, where it comes wrapped in a flatbread and topped up with sauces or dips.

VARIATIONS OF AUTHENTIC GREEK SOUVLAKI.

In Athens, the locals call souvlaki Kalamaki. One of the meanings of the Greek word kalamaki is little reeds, but it also means straw. Because of that, the rest of Greece disapprove heartily of the name and find it unsuitable and humorous.

The northern version of souvlaki differs slightly from the one in Athens in the ingredients for the marinade. In both recipes, the meat is marinated in lemon juice and olive oil. The Northern recipe contains only the traditional Greek oregano and the Athens version calls for oregano and mixed spice.

Another popular way of cooking meat in Greece is on a gyro. The difference between souvlaki and gyro is that Gyro is a vertical spit, resembling the one used for cooking Turkish Doner Kebab, and in souvlaki, the meat is cooked on wooden or metal skewers flat on the grill.

Souvlaki can be made with various kinds of meat, chicken and even with fish. As a street food, it is always served wrapped in pita bread. If you wish to make Greek pita at home, try my recipe for Greek Pita Bread.

HOW TO MAKE GREEK PORK SOUVLAKI?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN MY PORK SOUVLAKI RECIPE

Meat: Choose a good piece of pork fillet or boneless pork neck. Remove the sinews before cutting the meat into cubes.

Garlic: Garlic adds a lovely piquant flavour. You don’t need a lot of it. One clove is enough. Otherwise, it may overpower the rest of the flavours.

Olive oil: Greeks use olive oil in most of their traditional dishes. For this recipe, we need good quality Extra virgin olive oil to add moisture and flavour to the meat. 

Spices: Most traditional Greek Souvlaki recipes call for oregano in the marinade, but mixed spices can be used too.

Lemon juice: Adds a wonderful citrusy tang and makes the meat juicier and even more delicious!

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

For best results, marinate the meat overnight and when you are ready to cook, tread it on the barbecue skewers.

Traditionally, souvlaki is cooked on a barbecue. You can use any type of barbecue. On a cold day, you can broil the meat indoors on a griddle pan or a grill.

Step 1: Prepare the meat for the souvlaki.

Pat dry the meat and trim the sinews, then cut the meat into well-uniformed cubes, 2.5-3 cm thick. Pieces of meat with the same thickness will cook evenly.

You can use wooden or metal skewers for souvlaki. The material of the skewers will not change the taste of the meat.

Step 2: Make the marinade FOR THE MEAT

The traditional marinade for souvlaki is very basic. It contains olive oil, lemon juice and dried oregano. Add all these ingredients to a large bowl and stir to mix them well and combine the flavours.

Step 3: Marinate the meat

Place the meat in the bowl with the marinade and stir to coat it with the marinade.

You can then, transfer the meat and the marinade to a large freezer bag with a zip. Zip the freezer bag to avoid spilling the marinade out and massage the meat with the marinade through the plastic with your hand.

Place the freezer bag with the marinated meat in the fridge. Marinating the meat overnight is better, but if you are short on time, leave it in the marinade for at least 2 hours.

Step 4: Thread the meat on the skewers

Take the meat in the marinade out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before cooking it. Thread the cubes loosely on wooden or metal skewers. The cubes of meat must barely touch each other for the meat to cook evenly on the grill.

Step 5: Grill the meat skewers

Grill the meat at a high temperature but be careful not to overcook it. The souvlaki must be juicy and tender.

Turn the skewers regularly to cook the meat evenly. If you are grilling the souvlaki on wooden skewers on a wood or charcoal barbecue, be careful, the wood may catch on fire.

🍲 SERVE THIS DELICIOUS GREEK SOUVLAKI

Traditionally, authentic Greek pork souvlaki is served on lightly grilled Greek pita bread and garnished with sliced tomatoes and onions. Various other garnishes are possible, including rocket, shredded lettuce and fries, but keep it simple. Simple food always tastes best!

Try my recipe for Best Greek Tzatziki Dip with souvlaki. It’s an exciting combination of flavours!

Bon Appétit! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳

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