What Is Pork Souvlaki?

Although souvlaki finds its roots as Greek, kebab-style street food -- the word itself comes from “soubla,” meaning “skewer” -- the meat is often served off the skewer. In today's culinary world, souvlaki typically refers to meat, in this case pork, cooked in the style of the classic Greek kebab, which involves resting the meat in a flavorful marinade before throwing it on the grill for a quick sizzle. Once prepared, souvlaki can stay on the skewer or lend itself to pita sandwiches.

A Meaty Marinade

The key to authentic souvlaki lies in the marinade. Traditionally, this marinade consists of olive oil, lemon juice and oregano, as well as an optional dash of salt and pepper. Boneless pork shoulder or tenderloin trimmed into strips about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide works well for classic souvlaki. You can let the covered meat marinate in the refrigerator for anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight. For an additional kick, add zesty ingredients such as garlic paste, parsley, red wine vinegar, dry white wine, lemon zest or chopped onions to the marinade.

Sizzling Souvlaki

Chefs traditionally prepare souvlaki on a high-heat grill. The pieces of pork are taken directly from the marinade and placed on skewers, either by itself or with onion wedges and other veggies. If you don't have a grill handy, ditch the skewers and turn to a cast-iron griddle on a stovetop set to high heat. In either case, thinly sliced pork souvlaki only takes about 10 minutes to cook. Turn the meat once or twice during those 10 minutes and you'll wind up with pork that's lightly charred on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.

Souvlaki Sides

Greek pitas and tangy tzatziki sauce serve as essential sides for classic, street-style pork souvlaki. You can make tzatziki at home with a base of plain Greek yogurt. For a cup of sauce, mix in one-half of a finely diced cucumber, a few spoonfuls of chopped fresh mint, a bit of garlic paste and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Serve your souvlaki on the skewers with pitas and tzatziki on the side or wrap the pork in the bread with a dollop of sauce for a Greek gyro. In either case, give your pitas a quick grilling before serving. Lemon slices add a little zest to the meal, while sliced tomatoes lend a cooling element to the dish.

More to Consider

To balance the meatiness of the souvlaki with some vegetables, add green, yellow or red pepper chunks and cherry tomatoes to your skewers -- these veggies also make excellent additions to souvlaki gyros. For more tender souvlaki without the char, braise the pork in the marinade on the stovetop. You can also use pork souvlaki and tzatziki sauce to top a mixed green salad. Toss in some crumbled feta to complete the Greek theme.

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