Greek Souvlaki With Pita

A delicious Greek gyro souvlaki with juicy, tender pork, homemade Greek style pita bread and lots of fresh ingredients.

Authentic Greek souvlaki with pita is the one Greek food I crave the most. It’s quite difficult to find really authentic souvlaki where I live. There are kebabs and other middle eastern delicacies around but none can satisfy my craving for the one and only Souvlaki with pita just like the ones I get  when I am in Greece. I make souvlaki on regular basis to calm my homesickness and longing for all things Greek.

Authentic Greek souvlaki

Tender pork loin chops marinated in extra virgin olive oil and lots of herbs help create an authentic souvlaki, the Greek national Food.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Author: Jenny

Ingredients

the meat and marinade

• 4 butterflied boneless porkloin chops (about 2 lbs, sliced in 1/2 inch strips)
• 1 onion cut in half thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary chopped
• 2 sprigs of fresh oregano chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 2/3 cup white wine vinegar
• sea salt
• pepper
• 1 tsp honey

for the filling

• 2 large tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Greek feta cheese crumbled
• 1/2 onion sliced thinly
• dried oregano
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

the tzatziki sauce

• 1 cup Greek strained yogurt Such as Fage TOTAL Classic Plain Greek Yogurt.
• 1/2 cucumber grated with a cheese grater using the large blades. Strain all liquid out.
• 1 clove of garlic You can use less or more depending how “garlicky” you want your tzatziki to be.
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• ¼ bunch dill finely chopped
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

marinate the meat

• In a bowl mix thyme, onion slices, olive oil, vinegar, honey and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Place meat in a large pan and add the marinade. I like to massage the meat a little with the marinade mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and let it marinate from 3-4 hours to overnight in the fridge.
• Take it out of the refrigerator 1/2 hour ahead of cooking so it can get to room temperature.

make the tzatziki

• Stir together yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, and olive oil & vinegar in a bowl. Add the dill, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth. 
• Pour into a serving dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate 2-8 hours before serving.

make the tomato & onion filling

• Cut the tomatoes into thin slices, add them in a medium bowl. Add the sliced onion, and the crumbled feta cheese. Season with sea salt to taste. Sprinkle some dried oregano. Drizzle olive oil and a tsp or so of red wine vinegar. 
• Mix well but gently and let it sit for at least half an hour ahead of the souvlaki assembly.

cook the meat

• Add 2-3 tbs of olive oil to a cast iron grilling pan or the pan of your choice. Let it heat up almost to the point of smoke. add the meat 2-3 slices at a time. You don’t want to add more because the temperature will go down and the meat will boil instead of grill. 
• Cook meat 2-3 minutes each side. I always do a test drive, cooking time changes depending on how thin my meat slices are.

right before serving

• On the same pan you cooked your meat, clean it lightly with a paper towel, drizzle a little olive oil and grill the pitas to warm them up. This will allow them to get some of that charred smoked flavor.

assemble the souvlaki

• Take a pita bread, add two three slices of meat, 2-3 full tablespoons of the tomato & onion filling, and 2 tbs of tzatziki. Wrap it up in parchment paper just like they do in Greece and enjoy!
• You can also include french fries inside your souvlaki or enjoy them on the side. I love home made crispy french fries, they make all the difference. 

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