Souvlaki

Greece.

Land of the Spartans, Forefathers of Democracy, Tzaziki, Pita bread, the ancient Olympics, Zeus, the Akropolis of Athens, the Oracle of Delphi and so much more. It's also home of the Kalamata olives and some of the best olive oil in the world, come to think of it.

It's only a short journey from Morocco to Greece, right? Well, if you travel with your finger on a world map, that is. Either way, I would like to introduce you to probably the most favorite street food of Greece's cities...

The Souvlaki.

Souvlaki can be made from, either, pork, chicken, lamb or beef depending on your personal taste and if you feel even more adventurous you could try to make it with fish. It is marinated in a olive oil-based concoction of onions, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice among other ingredients.

But first things first...the marinade for the meat. That's the most important part. Without the marinade the Souvlaki is, well, just bland. For good results, flavor-wise, let the meat marinade for at least 2 hours. For best results...overnight, a full 24 hours. So what do we need...? For this Souvlaki I got me some nice pork loin but by all means, feel free to use lamb, beef or chicken, some lemons, some...ah what the...here's the list:

2.5 lbs of pork loin, silver skins and excess fat removed
3/4 cup olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed
3 Tbsp of red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp of Greek oregano
1 tsp of  All-purpose Greek seasoning
Juice of two large lemons

Start out by peeling and chopping the onion into smaller pieces. It doesn't have to be finely chopped but don't leave the pieces too big, either.

Grab a bowl and add the All-purpose Greek seasoning, the oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, the pressed garlic and the onions.

If you have freshly ground pepper on hand, it can be added also. And even more better if you have some ground cumin, but it's not necessary. Whisk it all together, set aside and turn your attention to the meat. This gives the marinade some time to start dispersing the flavors.

Okay, now the meat...

Rinse the pork well and pat dry with some paper towels. Using a sharp knife remove those tough silver skins and any excess fat. Since the Souvlaki is a fast-grilling dish, the silver skins will be tough if left on. So get rid off them. Then cut the meat into bite-size cubes, place in a sealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade, disperse evenly and push out the air. Then let everything rest for preferably 24 hours. Trust me, the flavors will be incredible.

The next day, when you're ready to make the Slouvaki, pour the content of the bag into a bowl. Now you have two options, actually...If you are going to charbroil the skewers, then don't do anything. Just soak some skewers in water for an hour, thread the meat onto them and place on a red-hot BBQ and grill for 3 minutes each side, maybe even less. Not more than that or the meat will dry out.

But if you don't have the BBQ option, as I did due to high winds and semi-cold weather, I used my trusty cast-iron grill pan and seared them in her. But there's a trick to it if you want the same char and browning that comes with barbequing the skewers over a live fire. To get the same effect, I poured the contents into a bowl, added some paprika powder, some garlic powder and a dash of sea salt. Mix everything up, let rest and then thread the meat onto small skewers, perhaps 5 inches in length Let them rest again for the time it takes to heat the dry grill pan over medium-high heat.

Once the pan's hot, brush the skewers with a mixture of white vinegar/lemon juice and olive oil and then sear four skewers at a time for 4 minutes each side. Don't move them while they are searing or you'll rip them and have pieces of meat left in your pan which will start smoking. Not good.

If you make a large batch, like I did, turn your oven to the lowest heat setting, place the finished skewers in a baking dish and keep warm on the highest rack inside the oven. Leave the door ajar so the heat won't dry them out.

Serve the Souvlaki with some homemade Tzaziki, Pita bread, a Greek salad with Feta cheese, some Pepperoncinis and Kalamata olives...

Tip: Brush the skewers lightly with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder and oregano right before serving.

Kali Orexi!