Pork souvlaki with pineapple and cucumber salsa

I have a number of souvlaki recipes on the blog, Souvlaki For The Soul: salmon souvlaki, swordfish souvlaki and lamb souvlaki. So I thought one more can’t hurt! Here, pork is marinated in a dry rub of smoked Spanish paprika, ground fennel and a touch of cumin, with an added finish of coriander and freshly squeezed lime juice, and a refreshing salsa that complements the spiciness of the souvlaki perfectly. Think of this as a nice Tex-Mex and Greek marriage! Serve with a nice cold beer and enjoy.

Credit: Peter Georgakopoulos

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 tsp smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 1 tsp ground fennel
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp sea salt
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 500 g pork belly or pork butt, cut into 3 cm pieces
• olive oil, to drizzle
• lime wedges, chopped coriander leaves, thinly sliced red onion and warm flour tortillas, to serve

Pineapple and cucumber salsa

• 150 g fresh pineapple, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1 Lebanese or small cucumber, seeds removed, sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• juice of ½ lime
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

To make the souvlaki, combine the paprika, fennel, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then massage into the pork. Thread pork onto skewers, ensuring there is space on both ends.

Preheat a chargrill pan or barbecue to medium-high. Once hot, drizzle over the oil to coat the pan, then add the skewers, ensuring there is room; do not overcrowd. Cook, turning occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate, squeeze over the lime and garnish with the coriander and onion.

Serve immediately with the pineapple and cucumber salsa, and warm flour tortillas.

Note

• You may wish to soak your skewers in advance but I didn't bother.

• As this is a real summertime dish, it’s a must that you use fresh pineapple. I’m not a snob when it comes to canned foods, but in this case don’t do it.

Recipe from Souvlaki For The Soul by Peter Georgakopoulos, with photography by Peter Georgakopoulos.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.