Grilled Pork Souvlaki with Charred Lemon

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Chunks of pork shoulder soak in olive oil, lemon, garlic and a heavy hand of dried oregano, then go straight over the coals with sweet red onion until the edges are crusty and the centres are juicy. Charred lemon halves get squeezed over everything and a two-minute garlic yogurt goes on the warm grilled pitas. It's the whole taverna dinner off one grill in about 15 minutes of cooking.

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 lemons
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 6 pita breads

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, juice of 2 lemons, 3 of the minced garlic cloves, the oregano, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the pork cubes and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.
2. Heat a gas grill to medium-high (about 425-450°F) with one burner left off, or bank a chimney of lit coals to one side of a charcoal grill for a hot zone and a cooler zone. Scrape the grates clean and oil them well.
3. Thread the pork onto 6 metal or soaked wooden skewers, pushing a wedge of red onion between every 2 or 3 cubes. Halve the remaining lemon.
4. Lay the skewers over the hot zone and grill uncovered for 10-14 minutes total, turning every 3 minutes, until the pork is browned and lightly charred at the edges and reads 145°F in the centre of a cube. Put the lemon halves cut side down on the grate for the last 4 minutes. If flare-ups happen, slide the skewers to the cooler zone until the flames die down.
5. Move the skewers to a platter and rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile stir the remaining minced garlic clove and a pinch of salt into the Greek yogurt, and grill the pitas over the cooler zone for 30-60 seconds per side, until warm and puffed with a few dark spots.
6. Squeeze the charred lemon halves over the skewers and serve with the warm pitas and garlic yogurt, sliding the pork and onion off the skewers to wrap.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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