Now, if there is a food that is unbreakably connected to Greece, this is souvlaki. I am sure everyone knows it and everyone has tasted the original one here or a version of it somewhere in the world.
In Greece, souvlaki is an easy and cheap meal, anyone enjoys. In almost every corner and certainly in every neighborhood, one can find at least one souvlaki diner. Some of them are excellent, some are good and some are bad just like it happens in everything.
Here, when we talk about souvlaki we mean a kebab made of pork pieces, tzatziki, onion, tomato and parsley wrapped in a pita. Souvlaki can be made also with gyros (which is very thinly sliced pork), again tzatziki, onion, tomato and parsley, or the recently arrived more ‘healthified’ version with chicken.
I was accepted in a group of bloggers from different spots of this planet who, every last Sunday of the month, have to make a representative dish of their country for a specific occasion. World on a plate is an event invented and hosted by Pola from An Italian Cooking in the Midwest. This month the theme is grilling and I chose the one and only, the world’s famous Greek souvlaki to offer to you and to the event.
I am giving you the way I and my mother make it at home, plus a yogurt mezé that I am sure it will win your hearts, should you choose to try it. The recipe of this mezé was given to me some 20 years ago by an old lady, who was friend of mine. I have no idea who the creator of this recipe is, but what I know is that if you start digging into this sauce you will not stop until you empty the bowl. If you like tzatziki then I am sure you’re going to love this as well. It goes perfectly with souvlaki or any other grilled meat!
Marinated Greek Souvlaki with Pita and Yogurt Mezé
Ingredients
For the Souvlaki
1 kilo/2 lb pork or chicken, cut in thick pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (feel free to add as many cloves as you like, the stronger the better)
2 tsp oregano
1/3 cup mustard
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 or 7 skewers
6 or 7 pitas
For the Yogurt Mezé
1 kilo / 2 pounds Greek yogurt
1 eggplant, diced
2 green peppers, diced
2 tomatoes, diced and seeded
2 tbsp vinegar
3 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the Souvlaki Marinade
In a non-reactive bowl place all ingredients and the meat.
Mix well.
Cover with a cling film and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to grill, pierce the pork pieces in the skewers.
Grill for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is completely cooked and golden brown.
For the Yogurt Mezé
Preheat oven to 175° C/350° F .
Brush the eggplant and the peppers with olive oil.
Spread some salt.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the pieces are soft.
In a small pot place the tomato pieces with 1 tbsp of olive oil and boil in medium heat until they become soft about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from stove and pour it to a strainer to get rid of the excess liquid.
Let everything cool down.
Once everything has cooled, take a big bowl and pour the yogurt, salt and pepper, the tomato, the eggplant and peppers, the garlic cloves and the vinegar.
Mix very well and let it stay in the fridge for couple of hours.
Serve the souvlaki with the yogurt mezé on the side!
- 1 kilo/2 lb pork or chicken cut in thick pieces
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (feel free to add as many cloves as you like, the stronger the better)
- 2 tsp oregano
- ⅓ cup mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 6 or 7 skewers
- 6 or 7 pitas
- 1 kilo/ 2 lb. Greek yogurt
- 1 eggplant, diced
- 2 green peppers, diced
- 2 tomatoes, diced and seeded
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper
- In a non-reactive bowl place all ingredients and the meat.
- Mix well.
- Cover with a cling film and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to grill, pierce the pork pieces in the skewers.
- Grill for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is completely cooked and golden brown.
- Preheat oven to 175° C/350° F .
- Brush the eggplant and the peppers with olive oil.
- Spread some salt.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the pieces are soft.
- In a small pot place the tomato pieces with 1 tbsp of olive oil and boil in medium heat until they become soft about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from stove and pour it to a strainer to get rid of the excess liquid.
- Let everything cool down.
- Once everything has cooled, take a big bowl and pour the yogurt, salt and pepper, the tomato, the eggplant and peppers, the garlic cloves and the vinegar.
- Mix very well and let it stay in the fridge for couple of hours.
- Serve the souvlaki with the yogurt mezé on the side!
- 1 κιλό χοιρινό ή κοτόπουλο κομμένα σε χοντρά κομμάτια
- 1 κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- 2 σκελίδες σκόρδο, λιωμένο
- 2 κ.σ. ρίγανη
- ⅓ φλ. μουστάρδα
- ¼ φλ. ελαιόλαδο
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- 6 ή 7 σουβλάκια
- 6 ή 7 Πίτες
- 1 κιλό Ελληνικό γιαούρτι
- 1 μελιτζάνα, κομμένη σε κύβους
- 2 πράσινες πιπεριές, σε κύβους
- 2 ντομάτες, σε κύβους και χωρίς σπόρους
- 2 κ.σ. ξύδι
- 3 σκελίδες σκόρδο, λιωμένες
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- Σε ένα γυάλινο μπολ τοποθετήστε όλα τα υλικά και το κρέας.
- Ανακατέψτε καλά.
- Σκεπάστε με μία μεμβράνη και βάλτε στο ψυγείο για τουλάχιστον 6 ώρες ή όλη νύχτα.
- Όταν είστε έτοιμοι περάστε τα κομμάτια του χοιρινού κρέατος στα σουβλάκια.
- Ψήστε για περίπου 20 λεπτά, ή μέχρι το κρέας να είναι εντελώς μαγειρεμένο και να ροδίσει.
- Προθερμάνετε το φούρνο στους 175° C.
- Πασαλείψτε τις μελιτζάνες και τις πιπεριές με ελαιόλαδο.
- Ρίξτε λίγο αλάτι.
- Ψήστε για περίπου 15 λεπτά ή μέχρι τα κομμάτια να μαλακώσουν.
- Σε μια μικρή κατσαρόλα τοποθετήστε τα κομμάτια ντομάτας με 1 κουταλιά της σούπας ελαιόλαδο και βράστε σε μέτρια φωτιά, μέχρι να μαλακώσουν περίπου 10 έως 15 λεπτά.
- Βγάλτε από τη φωτιά και ρίξτε τις σε ένα σουρωτήρι για να σουρώσουν από τα περιττά υγρά.
- Αφήστε όλα να κρυώσουν.
- Όταν όλα έχουν κρυώσει, πάρτε ένα μεγάλο μπολ και ρίξτε το γιαούρτι, το αλάτι και το πιπέρι, την ντομάτα, τη μελιτζάνα και τις πιπεριές, τις σκελίδες σκόρδο και το ξίδι.
- Ανακατέψτε πολύ καλά αλλά απαλά και αφήστε το να μείνει στο ψυγείο για μερικές ώρες.
- Σερβίρετε το Σουβλάκι με τον γιαουρτομεζέ στην άκρη!