Souvlaki pita with horiatiki salad (village) and homemade tzatziki
a l a d ( v i l l a g e ) a n d h o m e m a d e t z a t z i k i
Souvlaki a traditional Greek dish made with grilled meat, I used pork with a lemon herb marinade served on pita bread with tomatoes, onions, herbs, and tzatziki. The acidity and citrusy notes in the Anthos Assyrtiko are matched in the tomatoes and tart yogurt, but balance the creaminess of the yogurt and marinated pork. The overall freshness in the wine makes for a congruent pairing with the souvlaki.
Traditionally souvlaki is grilled on skewers. For ease of preparation and serving, I sauté the meat in a cast-iron skillet. I served from a large platter with all the sides and let my guests assemble their own.Below we will show you how to make the Souvlaki, Tzatziki and the village salad known as Horiatiki.
Souvlaki
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 pork tenderloin
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 pita bread, purchased or use link above for recipe
- Tzatziki, recipe below
- lemon wedges, for serving
- 1 medium tomato, sliced into wedges and then halved
- 10 cherry tomatoes, mixed colors, cut in halved
- 4 springs fresh mint, torn into pieces
Instructions
- Cut the pork into 1-inch size pieces. Set aside in a bowl.
- In a medium bowl combine oregano, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to make the marinade. Take out 3 tablespoons of the marinade drizzle it over the pork pieces and toss.
In the remaining marinade add the onion slices and toss. Set aside. - Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet and half of the pork cubes. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until meat is golden brown and cooked. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining pork.
- Strain the onion slices from the marinade, drizzle the remaining marinade over the cooked pork pieces.
- To Serve: Arrange the pork, tomatoes, onion slices, lemon wedges, and pita bread on a large platter. Serve with Tzatziki and mint.
Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Persian cucumbers, shredded and squeeze out water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. Serve immediately or store in the fridge.
Horiatiki Salata (Village salad)
A traditional Greek salad recipe (Horiatiki) will always (and only) include tomato, sliced cucumber, green pepper, sliced red onion, Kalamata olives or green olives and of course feta cheese.
A classic Greek salad is dressed with good quality extra virgin olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar. This is a traditional Greek salad; fresh, locally produced ingredients, simple and uncomplicated.
- To make this traditional Greek salad recipe keep an eye on your ingredients. Find some juicy tomatoes, crisp, fresh cucumber, creamy feta cheese, good quality extra virgin olive oil and some tangy black olives and you are basically done!
- Cut the base ingredients in large chunks to give a more rustic touch. Cut the tomatoes straight in the serving bowl, so that the juices remain inside the bowl.
- Add some pitted Kalamata olives, if you have some in hand or green olives.
- Keep the dressing for Greek salad simple and authentic. Dress with Greek extra virgin olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar. Toss gently all the ingredients with the dressing, so that the flavours blend with the juices of the tomatoes and the aromas of the other vegetables.
- For seasoning your Greek salad use some salt and dried Greek oregano and finish off with a bit extra right before serving. Regular salt will be ok, but using a pinch or two of Cretan sea salt blossom will be a great addition. Be careful not to add too much salt as feta cheese can be already salty.
- Finish your salad with good quality Greek feta cheese cut in large blocks, but not crumbled. Serve right out of the bowl; no fancy presentation needed for this dish.
- When you serve Greek salad remember to set aside on the table a small bottle of olive oil and one with vinegar, so that anyone can add an extra drizzle if they like.
