Souvlaki

My knowledge of authentic Greek food is extremely limited, in fact everything I know could probably be wirtten on the back of a postage stamp. I've had Greek salad, olives and moussaka, I really like taramasalata and I love a chunk of crumbly Feta, but beyond that I draw a blank.

At least I did draw a blank, but now I can add one more dish to the list. Souvlaki.

Souvlaki are pieces of meat -traditionally pork- which are marinaded and threaded onto skewers for barbecuing or grilling, the word souvlaki comes from the word souvla which means skewer.
To make souvlaki cubes of pork are marinated in a mixture of red wine or red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon and oregano, they have a very 'fresh' flavour and are surprisingly light. They would be perfect for the upcoming barbecue party season, it's the kind of food you can pass round on a big platter for everyone to dig in and help themselves.

I served mine with some delicious vegetable rice which was so good it's worthy of a post all of it's own, you could serve this with pita, flat-breads or cous cous equally well.

Although this recipe is all my own I should give credit once again to the fantastic River Cottage Meat Book and to Kalofagas for inspiration.

Recipe: (serves four)

• About 800g pork cut into one inch cubes. I used the shoulder cut because 1)it's cheaper 2) it's got more flavour. You can use whatever you like though.

For the marinade:

• A good half a glass of red wine.
• 4 Tablespoons of olive oil.
• The finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon.
• A lot of dried oregano, about 6 tablespoons or more if you like.
• Salt and pepper.

To make souvlaki simply mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large non-metallic bowl, add the pork and mix well then cover and leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Thread the pork onto skewers and cook either on a hot barbecue or on a smoking hot griddle. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and rice or salad.