Having once been married to a Greek who hated Greek food, I for one love it, especially a well-cooked Souvlaki that is cook correctly. While many restaurants today add French fries to a souvlaki sandwich, the real Greek restaurants would never include them in their dishes. You see most people don’t know the difference between real Greek food and food established on the Greek Islands after the takeover by the Turks. Not only did I learn the history of Greek food, but also which foods were created under and changed by the Turks during their occupation. I also learned how to cook a variety of dishes from my former father-in-law, and perfected from a true Greek Chef. Now I don’t have to seek out a true Greek restaurant in my area to enjoy real Greek food. Although there are no real Greek or Italian restaurants in the heartland to enjoy real food, you have to make it yourself. Glad I know how to cook a variety of European, Mediterranean and Asian dishes to satisfy my various food cravings.
To make a good souvlaki dish it starts off with a good marinade. After cutting up cubes of pork loin I place them
in either a Ziplock bag or air tight container overnight in a mixture of virgin
olive oil, minced red onion, fresh garlic finely chopped, lemon juice, red wine
vinegar, and Greek oregano. Best to marinade for 24 hours for best results and
taste.
I then slice up a white or yellow onion and sauté them in a
frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and slab of butter until golden brown.
Then I throw in the pork and marinade into the pan and sauté up until the meat
is also golden brown. Once cooked, I set it aside while I cut up some lettuce
and tomato to add to my Souvlaki sandwich or dish. The sandwich consists of white pita bread,
lettuce, place the pork mixture on top, add cubed or sliced tomatoes on top. The
Souvlaki just wouldn't be the same without freshly made tzatziki sauce drizzled
on top.
Tzatziki sauce Recipe:
1 Small English Cucumber Grated and Drained to remove excess
liquid
Kosher Salt pinch
Garlic minced 2 tablespoons
White Vinegar ½ teaspoon
Virgin Olive Oil ½ teaspoon
Plain Greek Yogart or Sour Cream 1 cup
White Pepper pinch
Fresh Dill to taste
In a large bowl, combine your minced garlic with the white
vinegar and a little olive oil and mix. Add the drained cucumber mixture to a
large bowl, Greek yogurt, pinch of kosher salt, a pinch of white black pepper,
and chopped dill. Stir to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving
Serve Souvlaki over pita as stated above, but remember to
add wedges of fresh lemon on the side. The freshness of the lemon on the dish makes
it that much better. You can serve the meat
and onions over rice with a salad on the side to make this a dinner
meal, versus a lunch sandwich.
As they say in Greece, απολαμβάνω which means Enjoy!
Author Elizabeth Kilbride is a former political operative, author, scriptwriter, historian, journalist. business professional, and creative artist, and life coach consultant. Ms. Kilbride holds a Masters in Criminology and a BS in Business Management who stepped out of the loop for a while, but who is now back with a powerful opinion and voice in the direction of this country and our economy. As a life coach, she is available to counsel individuals to enjoy their dreams and a better life. Ms. Kilbride loves to travel, photograph her surroundings and is also a gourmet cook who loves to garden and preserve food for the winter months.
