Recipe Exchange: Memphis Greek Festival’s souvlakia
Anthony Williams (right) grills pork kabobs as volunteers hurry to finish preparations on Friday, May 10, 2019, for the annual Greek Festival at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. (The Daily Memphian file)
Opa! For 65 years, Memphis Greek Festival has been one of the most popular annual festivals in Memphis.
Located at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (573 N. Highland St.), the event celebrates Greek culture and heritage and is Friday, Sept. 20, and Saturday, Sept. 21, this year.
The festival features a variety of Greek food options, including spanakopita, gyros, souvlakia, moussaka, marinated lamb chops, baklava and more than a dozen Greek pastries, each dish handmade by a small army of volunteers. The specialties can be enjoyed at the festival or picked up to take home through the event’s drive-thru.
But I asked Kathy Zambelis, longtime Memphis Greek Festival spokesperson, to share some tips for making souvlakia, one of the event’s most popular dishes, at home.
For the festival each year, the church orders more than 1,000 pounds of pork to make the marinated pork shish kabobs, which are one of the most popular street foods in Greece.
When it comes to the cut of meat, Zambelis said the best cut of pork is the tenderloin. Do not cut the cubes too small, or the meat will become dry and tough.
Marinate the pork overnight in a mixture of cooking sherry, wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and - of course - oregano.
How to cook it: The traditional way to cook the shish kabobs is on a grill over hot charcoal.
Zambelis said souvlakia is best served on a fresh, warm pita smothered with tzatziki, or over a bed of rice pilaf.
For more information about Memphis Greek Festival, visit memphisgreekfestival.com.
Souvlakia
This recipe is for 4 servings.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooking sherry
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup oregano
2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1-1 1/2 pounds of pork tenderloin, cubed (cut fairly large)
Juice from 1/2 lemon (or more if you like it), for garnish when serving
Directions:
Mix the first seven ingredients and pour over cubed meat. Marinate the meat overnight.
Remove meat from marinade, reserving the marinade. Place the meat on paper towels to drain.
Pierce meat and place on skewers. (Tip: If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak in advance so they do not burn.)
Cook the skewers on a grill over a hot charcoal fire (or in the oven on broil), basting occasionally with marinade until desired temperature. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the pork once cooked.
Serve wrapped in pita bread with tzatziki sauce, or over rice pilaf.
Recipe courtesy of Kathy Zambelis
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Memphis Greek Festival Recipe ExchangeJennifer Chandler
A cookbook author and former restaurateur, Jennifer Chandler has been writing about food and dining for more than 25 years.
She is the author of four cookbooks: “The Southern Pantry Cookbook,” “Simply Salads,” “Simply Suppers,” and “Simply Grilling.” While she boasts a degree from Le Cordon Bleu, this Memphis native is about making real food accessible for real families.
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