Souvlaki at home: Lamb, peppers, tomatoes, and pita bread make it perfect.
Makes 4 servings
For the Marinade:
2 tablespoons coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Greek dried oregano
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh strained lemon juice
2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 1 ½- inch cubes (There should be about 16 cubes)
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into eighths
2 red onions, peeled and cut into eighths
4 medium firm tomatoes, cored and cut into quarters
16 whole fresh bay leaves
4 flat metal skewers, about 10 inches long
4 round pita breads
8 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and toss in the lamb cubes. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to three hours.
2. Light the grill or preheat the broiler.
3. Thread the meat, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and bay leaves onto the skewers, alternating between each. Brush the skewers with the marinade.
4. Grill the souvlaki about four inches from the heat source if cooking under a broiler or slightly less if grilling on a barbecue. If doing
this under a broiler, place the skewers on a rack over a pan to keep the juices from dripping into the oven. While grilling or broiling, brush occasionally with a little of the marinade. The souvlaki will need about six to seven minutes per side for rare, about eight to nine minutes for medium, and about 10 for well-done.
5. While the skewers are cooking, brush the pita bread with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and either pan fry lightly, preferably in a cast-iron skillet or over a cast-iron griddle, or directly on the barbecue rack. Turn, brush the other side with oil and grill lightly. The bread should not toast, but rather should be soft and pliant.
Serve the souvlaki on the skewer over the bread, accompanied if desired with tzatziki and Greek pan-fried potatoes.
