Ingredients
- Wooden skewers
- 2.5 pounds pork loin
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Marinate the Pork
In a medium bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, oregano, kosher salt, and pepper. The mixture should look cloudy and emulsified.
Cut the pork loin into uniform 1-inch cubes, trimming off any large, hard pieces of fat. Add the pork cubes to the marinade and use your hands to make sure every single piece is thoroughly coated.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but no more than 8. After that, the acid in the lemon juice and vinegar will start to break down the proteins in the pork, ruining the texture.
Soak and Thread the Skewers
While the pork marinates, place your wooden skewers in a shallow dish of water to soak for at least 30 minutes. This prevents them from catching fire and burning to a crisp on the hot grill.
Once marinated, thread the pork cubes onto the soaked skewers, leaving a small amount of space—about 1/4 inch—between each piece. If you pack them together too tightly, the sides of the pork will steam instead of searing.
Grill Over High Heat
Preheat your grill to high heat, aiming for a temperature between 450-500F.
Place the skewers on the hot grill grates. You should hear an immediate, loud sizzle. Let them cook for ~3 minutes on the first side without moving them; this is how you get distinct, dark grill marks.
Flip the skewers and continue to cook, turning every 2-3 minutes, until the pork is cooked through and has a good char on all sides. This should take about ~10-14 minutes in total.
The pork is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 145F. Pull them off the grill immediately; they will continue to cook from residual heat.
Rest and Serve
Let the skewers rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to redistribute back into the meat.
Serve hot with warm pita bread, tzatziki, and extra lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.
Pork Souvlaki
Ingredients
- Wooden skewers
- 2.5 pounds pork loin
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, the red wine vinegar, the minced garlic, the oregano, the salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl until emulsified.
- Cut the pork loin into 1-inch cubes, removing any large fat pieces.
- Add the pork to the marinade and coat each piece thoroughly.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours.
- Soak the wooden skewers in a dish of water for at least 30 minutes.
- Thread the marinated pork onto the soaked skewers, leaving 1/4 inch space between pieces.
- Preheat your grill to high heat (450-500F).
- Place the skewers on the hot grill and cook for 3 minutes without moving.
- Flip and continue cooking, turning every 2-3 minutes, until the pork reaches 145F (about 10-14 minutes total).
- Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot with the pita bread, tzatziki, and lemon wedges.
