A Garlic Yogurt Marinade Does Double Duty in Souvlaki-Inspired Pork Skewers

Milk Street via AP This image posted by Milk Street shows a recipe for souvlaki-inspired pork skewers.

In Greece, garlicky meat skewers called souvlaki are sold on street corners, in restaurants and on the beach, served hot off the grill to be enjoyed on the go.

While a yogurt marinade isn’t traditional for pork souvlaki, in this recipe from our cookbook Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year , we take advantage of the tenderizing effects of cultured dairy on meat. The combination of lactic acid and calcium loosens the structure of proteins, tenderizing the meat. Flavored with red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper, the yogurt does double duty as a creamy, tangy sauce.

Pork tenderloin, which is easy to find, is trimmed of its silvery skin, halved lengthwise, and sliced into chunks before being tossed with the yogurt mixture. After marinating, the pork is threaded onto skewers with tangy Campari or cocktail tomatoes. Chopped zucchini works well, too, or a combination of the two. Rather than grilling, we move the cooking indoors and grill the skewers until the vegetables blister and the meat is charred.

Enjoy them directly on the spit, on a bed of rice or orzo pilaf or stuffed into warm pita bread. Serve with yogurt sauce and lemon wedges.

Inspired by souvlaki

Pork skewers

From start to finish: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

3/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

3 medium cloves garlic, finely grated

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 1/4-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of silverskin, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 Campari or cocktail tomatoes (about 1 1/2 inches) OR 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces OR a combination

Directions: Place a rack on a rimmed, broiler-safe baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt, vinegar, oil, oregano, garlic, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Measure 1/4 cup mixture into a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon water; reserve for serving.

Add pork to medium bowl and toss until evenly coated. Thread pork, alternating with tomatoes, onto four 8- to 10-inch metal skewers. Place skewers on prepared grill, spacing evenly. Let stand at room temperature while grill heats.

Heat the grill with a rack about 4 inches from the element. Grill the skewers until lightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip, and grill until charred on the second side, 4 to 6 minutes more. Serve with the yogurt sauce.

Optional garnish: lemon wedges

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