INGREDIENTS:

4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/4 inch cubes
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine or Port and/or Dry Sherry, your choice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf crumbed
1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
1 teaspoon dried mint
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces or a combination of (yellow, red and green)  for additional eye appeal
2 medium white, red or yellow onions, cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces
Skewers 12" length (soak in water if wood)
Kosher or Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper corns (Tellicherry)
Wild Bill's Meat Rub (optional) click on hyperlink for the recipe

In a large plastic or glass bowl, mix together lemon juice, lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, red wine, oregano, dried mint, crushed bay leaf and garlic; add pork, onions, and green peppers, and stir to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, overhauling every four to six hours to help evenly distribute the marinade.   Preheat grill for medium-high heat if gas and if using a charcoal grill, prepare charcoal about 20 minutes ahead of time . Thread pork, peppers, and onions onto skewers, about 6 or 7 pieces per skewer and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper corns and Wild Bill's Meat Rub (optional).  Lightly oil grill grate and cook  for 10 to 15 minutes, or to desired doneness, turning skewers frequently for even cooking.   Use a reliable digital meat thermometer to check the doneness of the kabobs by poking it into the meat without touching the skewer.  Remove the kabobs from the grill when the thermometer registers 130 degrees F for veal, beef or lamb, 145 degrees F for pork or 155 degrees F for buffalo or wild game.  Pork shoulder and Boston butt grills much better than a pork tenderloin since there is more fat content and the grilled meat will be more juicer!

NOTES:  Souvlaki (soo-vlah-kee) is the term used to describe “little skewers” of meat that are marinated in a wonderful red wine marinade and then grilled.  Souvlakia are traditionally wrapped in pita bread and then topped with a variety of condiments - lettuce, tomato, onion, and of course, the famed tzatziki sauce.  They are also quite delicious without the pita and trimmings.

YIELD:  6 to 8 kabobs

Click on sequence thumbnail pixs below for a larger view:

ADDITIONAL NOTES:  I used some left over Boston Butt from doing a sweet n sour pork recipe a couple days ago and there probably was about 2 to 3 pounds of pork left that I had cut into larger pieces for the kabobs.  The original recipe did not have lime juice and had a time listed of 3 hours for the marinade, but the pork was very tough after grilling, whereas the veggies were done and charred pretty good.  To salvage this recipe, I placed the Souvlaki kabobs in the oven uncovered at 375 degrees for 25 minutes and the pork was tender and about medium done without any pink.  To rectify the recipe, I added the lime juice and increased the marinating time to 24 hours.  Also, the quantity of the marinade could easily be doubled to help tenderize the pork.  The marinade had very good flavor and was not overpowering either.  

My indoor lighting set-up and Canon DSLR is kicking my butt pretty good for photographing food.  I have a long way to go to get the end results I am looking for.  The first picture of the grilled Souvlaki was done outside on the grill with a little point and shoot camera in natural light which was overcast and the flash fired and this is the type of picture I am trying to duplicate inside;  good depth of field, shadows not excessive, good contrast and brilliant saturated colors, just to name a few.......grin if you must! 

The Souvlaki kabobs had great flavor with a variety of textures and the colors are awesome under natural lighting!

Web posted by Bill aka Mickey Porter 07-27-12 with pictures added on 08-29-12.

xx