Souvlaki with Tzaziki
Submitted by cheyenne
Greek lamb souvlaki with tzatziki: red-wine and oregano-marinated lamb shoulder skewers grilled over coals, served with cool strained yogurt, cucumber, and garlic dip.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
35 minREADY
13 hrsGood Greek souvlaki comes down to two things: the marinade and the patience to let it do its work. Cubes of lamb shoulder sit overnight in red wine, garlic, oregano, and strips of lemon zest, and by morning the meat is perfumed right through.
The wine does double duty. It tenderizes the tougher shoulder cuts and leaves behind a savory, slightly tannic edge that stands up to the smoke of charcoal.
Straining the yogurt for the tzatziki is what separates homemade from watery store-bought. An hour of dripping through cheesecloth pulls the whey off and leaves you with a thick, almost-spreadable base that clings to every piece of meat.
Grated cucumber goes in without fuss, but squeeze out the excess liquid first or your beautifully strained yogurt goes right back to soupy.
Chef Tips
- Cut the lamb into even 1 ½ inch cubes. Mixed sizes cook unevenly, and you’ll either have charred edges or raw centers.
- Thread pieces loosely on the skewers with a small gap between each. Crowded cubes steam instead of char.
- Brush with a little olive oil just before grilling, not before. Oil on a cold skewer drips into the coals and causes flare-ups.
- Let the souvlaki rest 5 minutes off the grill before serving. Resting lets juices redistribute into the meat instead of running onto the plate.
Variations
- Swap lamb for chicken thigh chunks for a lighter, crowd-pleasing version.
- Tuck everything into warm pita with sliced tomato, red onion, and a shower of crumbled feta for classic souvlaki sandwiches.
- Add finely chopped fresh mint or dill to the tzatziki for a brighter, herbier sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the meat in a large bowl.
Pour in the wine and sprinkle minced garlic and oregano.
Imbed the lemon strips among the cubes of meat and drizzle with olive oil.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight.
Shake or stir the mixture several times during the marination period.
About 30 minutes before serving, drain off and discard the marinade.
Thread the chunks of meat onto long skewers, brushing with a little olive oil.
Over medium coals, barbeque the souvlaki until it’s done the way you like it.
Serve on a bed of rice and pass the tzaziki to spoon on top.
Line a colander or sieve with cheesecloth (or gauze) and set it over a bowl.
Pour in the yogurt and allow it to drip for an hour or so.
After the yogurt has drained, combine it, in a small bowl, with the cucumber and the garlic.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until just before serving.
While the meat is BBQing, drizzle the olive oil over the surface, and without stirring, sprinkle on the salt.
It needs no mixing - your guest will do that when they dollop it onto their souvlaki.
Comments