Moorish pork skewers

Name: Moorish pork skewers
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients: 1kg pork loin, cut in uniform dice (2-3cm); 80ml extra virgin olive oil; salt flakes; 6-8 freshly cooked, medium pitas; 200g quark (or Greek yoghurt or fromage frais); ½ bunch picked coriander; ½ bunch picked mint

Karen Martini

November 29, 2020

Moorish pork skewers with black olive & orange salsa.Supplied

Time:< 30 minsServes:6-8

These pork skewers crackle with spice and are perfectly complemented by the tangy salsa, cooling quark and fresh herbs. They're ideal for a barbecue, and if you plan to over-cater, they'll make tomorrow's dinner fuss free.

Ingredients

1kg pork loin, cut in uniform dice (2-3cm)
80ml extra virgin olive oil
salt flakes
6-8 freshly cooked, medium pitas
200g quark (or Greek yoghurt or fromage frais)
½ bunch picked coriander
½ bunch picked mint

Spice Mix

1 fresh bay leaf
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1½ tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp fennel seeds
1½ tsp smoked paprika
2 pinches saffron, activated in 1½ tbsp boiling water
5 cloves garlic
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp chilli flakes
zest of ½ an orange, grated on a microplane

Orange and black olive salsa

1 red pepper, roasted then finely diced
½ red onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 oranges, peeled, segmented and chopped into pieces
2 red chillies, finely diced
8 black olives, pitted and finely chopped
100ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

For the spice mix, shred the bay leaf and grind with the seeds in a mortar and pestle until pulverised. Add the remaining ingredients (including the saffron and the water from the saffron) and continue to grind until very well crushed.
Stir the 80ml of oil through the spice mix and rub on to the pork. Marinate for two hours in the fridge.
For the salsa, mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl and season.
Once the pork has finished marinating, season with salt and thread on to eight to 10 metal skewers. Grill or barbecue (or pan-fry) for four to six minutes on high heat. Be careful not to overcook, as the loin will dry out quickly.
Serve the pork on a warm, freshly-cooked pita with a dollop of quark or yoghurt, some salsa, fresh mint and coriander.