For as long as the Greeks can remember they have combined fire and meat to produce one of their most iconic dishes; souvlaki. Pieces of pork loin, cut into small chunks of about an inch and cooked over a grill.
Calling it a kebab just doesn’t do it justice. There are so many bad kebabs out there that it would be a pity if souvlaki were tarnished with the same reputation. This is a healthy, delicious, succulent way to prepare a kebab. Once you’ve tried souvlaki, the way the Greeks do it, you’ll never cook it any other way, and no camping expedition will ever be the same without it.
If you are using wooden skewers always pre-soak them for a minimum of half an hour to stop them burning and bursting into flame once they are on the coals.
The measurements in this recipe are approximate, and the flavor is the traditional souvlaki flavor of oregano, which grows wild in the Greek countryside and picked and dried in rural houses around Greece. I added dried mint to my recipe, which is another authentic ingredient but not always included.
Often times the mint flavor is obtained by making tzatziki (a mint yogurt dip) of natural yogurt, grated, salted and then drained cucumber and mint, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. This dip is spread over Greek pitta bread, and the souvlaki is wrapped up to produce a mouthwatering wrap that’s often seen as street food in Greece. So easy to eat while camping!
When you finish this recipe, here are a couple more you will love.
Dutch Oven Italian Veal Casserole Camping Recipe
Dutch Oven British Cottage Pie Camping Recipe
Makes about 25 to 30 Souvlaki
Ingredients
- 5 Ibs. pork loin or tenderloin
- 2- 3 cups extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 4 or 5 lemons, including the pulp
- 3- 4 tbsp dried oregano
- 1-2 tbsp dried mint
- 2 tbsp Salt
- Fresh black pepper to taste
- For basting on the grill:
- One part olive oil
- Half part lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix all the marinate ingredients together.
- Mix all the marinate ingredients together.
- Mix the pork into the marinate. Really make sure each piece is in contact with the marinate.
- Cover and leave it marinating for at least half an hour but the longer the better. Two hours is ideal.
- Skewer about five pieces of the meat on each skewer.
- Make sure the coals are about two thirds of the way burnt as this will give an even, intense heat, When the souvlaki are placed on the grill you should hear a sizzle.
- Place the souvlaki on the grill. Have a spray bottle of water on hand as the olive oil marinate can drip and catch alight. Spray if there are any flare ups to avoid charcoaled meat.
- Turn often and continue to frequently baste with one part olive oil to half part lemon juice until the pork is cooked.
- There you have your souvlaki. Great in a Greek flatbread with tzatziki and roasted peppers.
- For the roasted peppers, blacken on the grill and leave to steam in a bowl covered in plastic wrap for 5 minutes to ease the process of pealing the skin. The peppers are then skinned, sliced and combined with olive oil, lemon juice and herbs such as dill, mint or oregano.
