Σουβλάκια. . .Souvlakia (Greek Shish Kebab)

[Bumppo]

That looks amazing!

I've been trying to decide what to make to go with your soup this weekend. I guess that answers that question.

 

[JLeonard]

Man I wish that last pic was a POV of it going into my mouth! Thats some good looking stuff right there!
Jim

 

[BandCollector]

WOW! I awoke this morning to all these Likes!

Thank You: DRKsmoking Fueling Around Sven Svensson SmokinEdge pushok2018 zwiller motocrash N Nefarious Sowsage jcam222 bauchjw and clifish

Thanks guys, appreciate your kind words as well. . .I hope I didn't leave anyone out!

John

 

[tx smoker]

Holy Mother and Moses!

That is exactly what I was thinking!! John, this is one truly spectacular meal....every last detail of it. We love a good gyro but this is a whole 'nother level right here.We have a couple neighbors who happen to be good friends as well as being Greek. I have every intention of cooking this for them, maybe even tomorrow. I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I am with the whole process and history that you detailed here. I only have one question though: why is this not on the carousel?

Awed and truly inspired,
Robert

 

[chopsaw]

Fantastic John ! Great work and info . I'm looking for something to change things up a bit . This is it .

 

[BandCollector]

That is exactly what I was thinking!! John, this is one truly spectacular meal....every last detail of it. We love a good gyro but this is a whole 'nother level right here.We have a couple neighbors who happen to be good friends as well as being Greek. I have every intention of cooking this for them, maybe even tomorrow. I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I am with the whole process and history that you detailed here. I only have one question though: why is this not on the carousel?

Awed and truly inspired,
Robert

Thank you Robert,

I really enjoy sharing good food with friends and family. . .And this one always hits it out of the park. Very nice of you to treat your Greek neighbors. I'm sure they will give you a hug and a kiss on each cheek in appreciation.

As far as why this post isn't on the carousel? Well , I guess you will have to ask TulsaJeff . I have read on other posts that he makes all the rules.
Or, perhaps, I may have of offended one of the administrators in another life. . .LOL!

Also, thanks for the Like my friend. If you need any help with your menu tomorrow please do not hesitate to ask.

Take care,

John

 

[BandCollector]

Fantastic John ! Great work and info . I'm looking for something to change things up a bit . This is it .

chopsaw

If you play your cards right it may not change things up but just may rock your world. . . LOL!

If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Thanks for the kind words and Enjoy!

John

 

[BandCollector]

That looks amazing!

I've been trying to decide what to make to go with your soup this weekend. I guess that answers that question.

I hope you enjoy both. . .If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

John

Man I wish that last pic was a POV of it going into my mouth! Thats some good looking stuff right there!
Jim

Thanks Jim,

Too bad you can't taste the pictures. . .Make some and you will understand how delicious they are.

Take care my friend,

John

 

[BigW.]

I certainly have enjoyed your latest Greek cooks. Thanks,

 

[justplainbob]

that pita doesnt look store bought

 

[zwiller]

WOAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS THREAD JOHN. Totally agree with the others, the info and photos are stellar. Hope you a get a ride because the photos are professional level and might be the best I ever saw posted here. Killer job!

I will be studying big time so expect questions LOL. We make variations of kabobs probably once a week all spring and summer. Slightly different culture spin on it each time, like shawarma. One of the coolest things we tried was wife's idea of using hummus in place of tzatziki. (man greek spelling is hard for me to remember!!!) That said, greek style is my fave but never could nail it. The info you shared is beyond what I gleaned over the years and looking forward to running some! I know you mentioned warming the pita but for the others we find it essential to coat with olive oil and grill it a bit. Sometimes we just make grilled pita to dip into something.

justplainbob already beat me to my first question! That pita looks INSANELY good.

 

[clifish]

That looks amazing!

I've been trying to decide what to make to go with your soup this weekend. I guess that answers that question.

I think I am going to start with John's soup and follow up with this for a spectacular Greek dinner. Probably next weekend with friends and my parents when we are in PA.

 

[Steve H]

Awesome John! And the pictures are magazine quality. I do almost the exact same thing. But use pork instead. Lamb is $$$ here.

 

[Colin1230]

Wow! That dish and presentation is absolutely fantastic John! I think it deserves a ride on the carousel.

 

[Bearcarver]

That looks Mighty Tasty, John!!!
Nice Job!
Like.
Hmmm, do they serve that in the cafeteria of the "2021 Pennsylvania State Champion Football Team, of Mt Lebanon"?

Bear

 

[WaterRat]

Here you go,

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1 cucumber
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
• 18 oz of strained yogurt
• 2 Tbsps red wine vinegar
• a pinch of salt

1. Pour in a blender the olive oil and minced garlic. Blend until combined.
2. Remove the skin and the seeds of the cucumber and grate it into a large bowl.
3. Season with salt and pepper and leave aside for 10 minutes.
4. Wrap the grated cucumber in a towel and squeeze in order to get rid of the excess water.
5. In a bowl, add the cucumber, the blended garlic and oil, the yogurt, the red wine, salt , and blend until the ingredients are combined.
6. Store the tzatziki sauce in the refrigerator and always serve cold.

Enjoy,

John

Thank you! I’ll give it a try when it gets just a little nicer out

 

[xray]

Wow! Bookmarked and another thing to make. I’ll be doing this regularly once it gets nicer out.

The wife and I do all kinds of skewers on the grill. Your souvlakia will do great to add a little variety for us.

 

[smokin vegas]

Over the years I have periodically been asked questions about the preparation of souvlakia. So--since I was having them for dinner this evening--I decided to post the process.

First, a little history: In Greek culture, the practice of cooking food on spits or skewers dates back to the Bronze Age. Souvlakia were a popular delicacy in Santorini back in 2000 BC. Excavations of the area have unearthed stone cooking supports that had indentations that were likely used for holding skewers and lines of holes in the base that allowed the coals to be supplied with air. Fortunately today we have the luxury of charcoal grills.

Traditionally souvlakia are prepared with lamb, but lamb is so expensive these days that I opted to make mine with pork and chicken instead. (Souvlakia can be made with lamb, beef, pork, chicken, or even wild game.)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of lamb (or meat of your choice) cut into chunks
• 1/3 C olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• juice of one lemon
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 red onions, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp dried Greek oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• pita bread
• feta chese
• tzatziki sauce

Prepare the marinade for the kebabs in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, herbs, and season with the salt and pepper.
Combine the marinade with the meat chunks, cover the bowls with plastic wrap , and let the meat chunks marinate over night.

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Lift the chunks of meat from the marinade and thread the pieces onto the skewers. (If you are using wooden skewers soak them in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning because these usually get hellishly hot!)

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Grill the kebabs making sure to turn them every five minutes or so. Since I was using pork and chicken, I cooked the kebabs until the internal temperatures were 165˚ for the chicken and 150˚ for the pork.
Looking good!
You can also use the hot coals to toast the pita bread until nicely colored on both sides.

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Place the meat chunks onto the warmed pita bread. Cover the meat with shredded lettuce, onions, tomato chunks, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.
(Store bought tzatziki sauce works fine, but if anyone needs the recipe for a homemade version, I will be happy to send it to you.)

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Fold the pita bread like a taco and have at it!

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I hope you enjoyed my presentation as much as I enjoyed my souvlakia!

Thanks for viewing,

John

The recipe and photos look amazing!

 

[BandCollector]

WOW!

Just got back from working at my son's house and looky here. . .More Likes!

Thank you: SmokyMose xray WaterRat Bearcarver Colin1230 Steve H and B BigW.

Thanks again guys I really appreciate the Likes,

John

 

[BandCollector]

I certainly have enjoyed your latest Greek cooks. Thanks,

Thanks B BigW. ,

I really enjoyed bringing them to you all.

John