Pork Souvlaki with Pita and Tzatziki Recipe | Grilling

Name: Pork Souvlaki with Pita and Tzatziki Recipe | Grilling
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 170 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: For the Marinade:; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1 small red onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 2 teaspoons Greek oregano; Salt and Pepper; 1 1/2 pounds pork loin, trimmed of silver skin and excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes; For the Tzatziki:; 2 cups of Greek yogurt; 1 English cucumber, peeled and grated; 4 cloves of garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Pocketless Pita

Out of all the Greek establishments in my neighborhood, my absolute favorite gyro and souvlaki joint is BZ Grill in Astoria, only two short blocks away. The proximity has left me little reason to cook the staples at home, but with a looming move that will find me farther away from these beloved pita sandwiches and platters, I realized that I had some learning to do in the kitchen.

I never really thought about the ingredients inside a souvlaki marinade before; I just knew that the meat always tasted bright and fresh. So I scoured souvlaki recipes and came up with a formula that I thought would best replicate the flavors I'm used to. After letting cubes of pork loin marinate overnight in a mixture of olive oil, red onion, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and Greek oregano, I skewered and grilled them off.

The pork was everything I imagined it would be--the lemon juice gave it a nice tang and the mixture of onion, garlic, and oregano made it taste distinctly Greek. The souvlaki just wouldn't have been complete to me unless there was pita and tzatziki nearby, so while the pork was resting off the grill, I heated up some pita, adding a dollop of tzatziki to the plate, and found comfort in knowing that even though I'll miss my around-the-corner souvlaki haunt, a fitting replica is only as far as my backyard.

Memorial Day Menus

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Chill / Marinate: 2 hrs

Total: 2 hrs 50 mins

Serves: 4 servings

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For the Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Greek oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds pork loin, trimmed of silver skin and excess fat, cut into 1-inch cubes

For the Tzatziki:

2 cups Greek yogurt
1 English cucumber, peeled and grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pocketless Pita

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Place pork cubes in a Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and toss to coat pork evenly with the marinade, then open the bag and reseal, removing as much air as possible. Place the pork in the refrigerator for at least two hours to overnight.
Mix all the tzatziki ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours to overnight. Presoak wooden skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes prior to use.
Light one chimney full of charcoal. While the charcoal is lighting, thread the pork cubes onto the skewers.
When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals out evenly. Alternatively, set all the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate. Grill the pork skewers until they browned on all sides and cooked through, about 8 to 12 minutes, turning 4 times during cooking. Remove the skewers to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes. While the pork rests, grill the pita until lightly browned on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Remove the pita from the grill and quarter. To serve, place pita slices on a plate, lay the souvlaki on top, and place a dollop of tzatziki on the side.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
900	Calories
37g	Fat
71g	Carbs
67g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	900
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g	48%
Saturated Fat 8g	40%
Cholesterol 142mg	47%
Sodium 1015mg	44%
Total Carbohydrate 71g	26%
Dietary Fiber 3g	11%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 67g
Vitamin C 7mg	35%
Calcium 257mg	20%
Iron 5mg	26%
Potassium 1014mg	22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.