Greek Pork Souvlaki

Method

1. Use shoulder, not loin

   Pork shoulder has enough intramuscular fat to survive a hot fast fire. Loin is leaner, cheaper to buy by weight and will be dry before it colours. Cut into even 2.5cm cubes so they cook at the same rate.

2. Marinate two hours, not overnight

   Whisk the oil, lemon, garlic, oregano and mustard, and toss the pork through it. Two hours is plenty. Lemon juice is acidic enough that a very long marinade starts to cure the surface and turns the texture chalky.

3. Thread tightly

   Push the cubes hard against each other on the skewer. Tight packing keeps the interior juicy and gives you char only on the outer faces, which is what you want. Loose cubes dry out on all sides.

4. Hot and fast, turning often

   Straight over a hot bed, turning every two minutes or so for 10 to 12 minutes total. You want proper blackened edges against juicy interiors. Wipe off excess marinade first or the oil will flare.

5. Rest briefly and build

   Pull at 65°C (145°F) and rest two minutes. Warm the pitta on the grill for thirty seconds a side while the meat rests, then build with tzatziki, tomato, raw onion and a dusting of paprika.

Notes worth knowing

• Soak wooden skewers for 30 minutes, or use flat metal ones which stop the cubes spinning when you turn them.
• The mustard in the marinade is not traditional everywhere but it helps the oil and lemon emulsify and cling to the meat.
• Chicken thigh works identically and needs 80°C (175°F) rather than 65°C (145°F).

Common questions

Souvlaki or gyros?

Souvlaki is cubes on a skewer cooked over direct heat. Gyros is stacked seasoned meat on a vertical rotisserie, shaved off as the outside cooks. Both go in pitta, which is why they get confused.

What goes in real tzatziki?

Strained Greek yoghurt, cucumber grated and squeezed properly dry, garlic, olive oil, a little red wine vinegar and salt. Dill or mint depending on the region. Squeezing the cucumber is what separates it from a watery dip.