Souvlaki with pita, tzatziki and Greek fries
Binging with Babish · ♥ 39.7K likes · 1.3M views · 8 min video
Read about tenderloin in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 2 whole pork tenderloins
Cut pork tenderloin and chicken breast into one-inch cubes.
- chicken breasts
- 3 oz olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried Greek oregano
- 2 oz lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic cloves
Per two pounds of meat, combine olive oil, dried Greek oregano, lemon juice, honey, kosher salt, black pepper and two garlic cloves crushed and smeared to a paste.
Put the meat in a food-safe container, pour the marinade over, massage to coat evenly, cover and refrigerate at least one hour and up to twelve.
- 2 whole cucumbers
For the tzatziki, grate and lightly salt two cucumbers on the large holes of a box grater and squeeze them out.
- 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp high quality Greek olive oil
Combine the squeezed cucumber with Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, crushed garlic, chopped dill, kosher salt, black pepper and Greek olive oil and mix until creamy and homogenous.
- pizza dough
For the pita, divide cold-fermented pizza dough into 160 gram pieces, roll into tight balls and proof on a parchment-lined baking sheet under oiled plastic wrap for one to two hours, until grown by about 50 percent.
Cut a round of parchment slightly larger than the bottom of a carbon steel skillet.
Stretching the pita rounds
- semolina flour
Coat each dough piece on both sides with semolina flour, poke it out to size, then stretch and press it to about an eight inch round; keep the rest under a damp towel.
- neutral flavored oil
- water
Set the parchment in the pan over medium-high heat with a squirt of water under and over it and a little neutral oil, cover and preheat one to two minutes.
Cooking pita in a parchment-lined pan
Lay the round flat in the middle with no creases, cover and cook three to five minutes until the edges are pale and flat and starting to brown, flip once charred, add a squirt of water if needed, cover, reduce to medium and cook another three to five minutes.
Stack the cooked pita under a clean dish towel to stay warm and retain moisture; repeat with the remaining dough.
- olive oil
For the fries, fill a pan with light or non-extra-virgin olive oil and heat to 375F, past the smoke point of extra virgin.
- frozen store-bought fries
Deep fry frozen par-fried fries in small batches; a crowded pan cools the oil and the fries do not brown.
Soak wooden skewers in water about 30 minutes, then thread the marinated meat leaving about a two inch handle at the bottom and no room at the top.
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Combine kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme and dried oregano for the souvlaki spice mix; stir a few generous pinches into half a cup of lemon juice for an optional finishing brush.
Souvlaki spice mix and lemon brush
Preheat a gas grill on maximum about 10 minutes, brush it clean, lay the kebabs on the hottest part, drop to medium, cover and grill three to five minutes a side to a good char all round, taking chicken to about 155F and pork to 145F.
Brush the pita with Greek olive oil and grill one to two minutes a side until charred and heated through.
Brush the meat with the lemon and herb mixture, lay the pita on a square of foil, spread generously with tzatziki, and pull the meat off the skewer with the bread or a fork.
Assembling and wrapping the souvlaki
- tomatoes
- red onion
- parsley leaves
Top with thinly sliced tomato, sliced red onion, whole parsley leaves, a handful of fries, a glug of Greek olive oil and a pinch of the spice mix, then fold two corners of the foil to the centre and fold up the bottom.