You have maybe heard of this Greek delicacy: small pieces of meat threaded onto skewers and then grilled. Pork is traditionally used for souvlaki, though today chicken, beef and lamb are widely accepted too. It is most commonly served with grilled bread, fried potatoes and fresh salad, but also sold as fast food, sometimes wrapped in a pita bread with different condiments.
But what makes souvlaki different from any other meat on skewer out there? It's the marinade. 'Cause marinade can make A LOT of difference! Souvlaki meat is marinated in lemon juice and some herbs characteristic of the Greek cuisine.
This time I decided to change the recipe a bit. In fact, not the recipe itself, but the preparation. As I mentioned, souvlaki is traditionally grilled, and we own an outdoor grill only. The weather wasn't really outdoor-friendly those days, so the grill option failed. I could only pan-fry them, but then I thought, why threading the meat onto skewers and fry them, when it's far more easier to skip this step? And decision was made: I'm going to make souvlaki but without the skewers. I used all the ingredients needed and got a succulent, heavenly aromatized, amazingly delicious souvlaki-flavored bites. Ta-da!
And this is what I used:
|
|
- You can use other meat if you wish: beef, lamb, chicken, turkey...
- You can substitute lard with 2 tablespoons of butter, especially if using chicken or turkey.
- Cut meat into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Add the herbs and stir. At the end, add lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Stir once again, cover the bowl and let it stand for at least 30 minutes.
You can omit lemon zest if you wish, but this will give the meat a more intense aroma and flavor. - Melt lard (or butter) in a suitable pan over medium fire and add the meat altogether with the marinade. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid vapors. Then increase the fire a bit and fry the meat for a minute or two, until it gets a brownish color. Remove from fire.
I served it with some classic mashed potatoes and some fresh cabbage salad. Fries and any fresh salad will be perfect. You can serve it with some roasted bread as well.
Enjoy and bon appétit!