Skewers of Souvlaki

• A Greek tradition, souvlaki's main component is grilled pork, lamb or beef cooked on skewers. The skewered meat is traditionally presented on top of pita bread, along with tzatziki, a yogurt-cumber sauce. Souvlaki is classic street food in Greece, as well as a staple in casual and elegant Greek restaurants around the world. But you can make it at home becaues both the serving sauce and the marinade include simple ingredients you can find readily.

Mainstays of the Marinade

• You can tailor the seasonings in your souvlaki marinade to your preference, but a basic recipe calls for 4 parts olive oil to 2 parts lemon juice and 1 part red wine or balsamic vinegar. Add generous spoonfuls of such aromatics such as minced red onion, minced garlic and dried Greek oregano, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Alternatively, use a quality red wine as your main acid instead of lemon and vinegar. Other seasonings might include fresh or dried lemon peel, mint and dill.

Tips for Tenderizing

• You won't need more than about 1 cup of marinade to use on 1 to 2 pounds of the souvlaki pork, beef or lamb. After you cube the meat, pour the marinade in a large, sturdy plastic bag that can be sealed. The cubed meat goes in after the marinade. Jiggling the sealed bag's contents vigorously distributes the liquid evenly over the meat. Once it goes in the refrigerator for two to 24 hours, shake the bag a few times during the marinating process.

Laying on the Liquid

• Marinade can also be used as a basting sauce during grilling, but you'll need to minimize the risk of harmful bacterial associated with marinades used on raw meat. To do so, making extra marinade is one option, so you can reserve some liquid that never comes in contact with the raw meat. If you forget to do that, boil the marinade in a saucepan after you remove the cubed meat from its plastic bag. Brush this reserved or boiled marinade on the skewered meat while it's cooking on the grill.