Second in a three-part series—
Souvlaki, a traditional Greek dish of skewered and grilled meat, is often served in pita as a sandwich. Here, it’s is reimagined as a fresh main course Pork Souvlaki Salad with Black Pepper Tzatziki. Delicious, easy, and diet friendly for low-carb followers. If you’d like a more substantial meal, serve grilled or toasted pita bread alongside.

Never heard of tzatziki? It is a Greek sauce served with grilled meats or as a dip. Tzatziki is made of strained yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and sometimes dill. American versions may include lemon juice, mint, or parsley.

For the salad, I whisked the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper together before tossing it with the baby greens. In the tzatziki mixture I nearly doubled the fresh lemon juice for a stronger tang.

Half of a peeled English cucumber is grated.

Don’t forget to squeeze out the excess moisture once the cucumber is grated.

In a small bowl, the oil, some garlic, yogurt, cucumber, and lemon juice are stirred together.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more for the pan
• 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1-1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 20 rounds (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 English cucumber, peeled, grated, excess liquid squeezed out
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more as needed
• Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 8 cups mixed baby greens
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta

Directions

1. Prepare a grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat (about 400°F). In a medium bowl, combine 1 Tbs. of the oil, 2 Tbs. of the vinegar, a third of the garlic, and the oregano.
2. Add the pork, toss to coat, and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together 1 Tbs. of the oil, the remaining garlic, the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Set aside.
4. Thread 5 pieces of pork horizontally onto each of four 12-inch metal skewers or soaked wooden skewers, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between pieces. Season the pork with 1/2 tsp. salt.
5. Grill, turning the skewers occasionally, until the pork is well marked and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total.
6. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the greens, tomatoes, and feta with the remaining 1 Tbs. vinegar, then with 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and the remaining 2 Tbs. oil.
7. Arrange the salad on plates or a serving platter. Lay the pork skewers on top, spoon some of the tzatziki over the pork, and serve with the remaining tzatziki on the side.

While the pork slices only need to marinate for 10 minutes, I did so for over an hour for more of a flavor impact.

Once marinated, thread the pork slices onto skewers with a little room between each piece of meat.

It only takes 6-8 minutes to grill the kebabs.

Toss the greens, tomatoes, and feta with the remaining vinegar and oil.

Plate the greens mixture and top with grilled pork. You can drizzle on the tzatziki or arrange to the side for dipping purposes.

by David Bonom from Fine Cooking

Next up is the final salad in the series: Salmon Niçoise Salad with Kalamata Vinaigrette