Souvlaki — Grilled Pork Skewers

Greek street food at its finest — cubes of marinated pork threaded onto skewers and grilled over coals,
served in a warm pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion, and a squeeze of lemon. Souvlaki is Greek fast food,
picnic food, and taverna food all in one. The marinade is lemon-forward and herb-heavy.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (pork, dairy in tzatziki)

SERVINGS: 4 (12 skewers)
TIME: 30 minutes active (plus 4-24 hours marinating)

INGREDIENTS:
For the pork:
- 1 kg pork shoulder or neck, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 100 ml olive oil
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 12 wooden or metal skewers

For serving:
- 8 warm pita breads
- 500 ml tzatziki (see below)
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh parsley
- Extra lemon wedges
- French fries (yes, really — the traditional Greek way)

For tzatziki:
- 500 g thick Greek yogurt
- 1 cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- Salt to taste

METHOD:
1. Whisk all marinade ingredients. Add pork cubes and massage. Cover and marinate at least 4 hours, up to 24.
2. If using wooden skewers, soak in water 30 minutes before grilling.
3. Make tzatziki: combine all tzatziki ingredients. Chill at least 1 hour for flavours to meld.
4. Thread pork onto skewers, 5-6 cubes each. Let excess marinade drip off.
5. Grill over hot charcoal (or on a preheated griddle) for 10-12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, until nicely charred on all sides and internal temp reaches 63-65C (145-150F).
6. Rest 5 minutes.
7. Warm pita breads on the grill for 30 seconds per side.
8. To assemble each souvlaki: spread tzatziki on pita, add tomato slices, red onion, pork from one skewer (slide it off), parsley, and a couple of French fries. Roll up tightly or fold.
9. Serve with lemon wedges.

NOTES:
- The French fries inside the pita are authentic Greek — do not skip them. It is a textural and cultural signature of Greek souvlaki.
- Pork shoulder is the classic cut. Chicken (souvlaki kotopoulo) is equally popular and uses the same marinade.
- For party service, keep components warm and let guests assemble their own.
- Souvlaki is actually the skewered meat itself; gyro is the wrap. Greeks use either term for the finished sandwich.

NUTRITION (per souvlaki with pita and tzatziki, approximate):
Calories: 620 | Protein: 42 g | Carbohydrates: 42 g | Fat: 32 g | Fibre: 4 g