serves
4
prep
25 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
25
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 3 sweet pointed capsicums (peppers) – a mixture of colours is nice
- 8 flatbreads, to serve
- 4 sprigs fresh mint, leaves picked
- small bunch of fresh dill, chopped (stalks and all)
- red wine vinegar
- Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, to serve
Kebabs
- 800 g quality leg of pork, shin if you can get it, the best quality you can afford, cut into 2 cm chunks
- 3 tsp dried mint
- 3 tsp dried oregano
- juice of 1 lemon
- 100 ml good-quality olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated
- 3 tsp red wine vinegar
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
- pinch of sea salt
Tzatziki
- ½ large cucumber
- 200 ml fat-free natural yoghurt
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled
- 1 heaped tsp dried mint (See Note)
- 1½ tsp red wine vinegar
Chilling time: at least 30 minutes.
Serves 4-8 (makes 8 kebabs)
Instructions
- If using wooden skewers, cut 8 to fit your grill (griddle) pan (see Note) and soak them in a tray of water to stop them burning. Put all your kebab ingredients into a bowl and use your clean hands to mix everything together really well. Cover with clingfilm, then pop into the fridge for 30 minutes, or longer if you want the flavours to get a bit more intense.
- Meanwhile, blacken the capsicums (peppers) directly over the flame of your cooktop, in a hot dry grill pan or under a hot grill. Turn them every so often and when they look almost ruined, pop them into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and put to one side to steam for 5 minutes or so – this will help their skins to come off.
- Make your tzatziki by coarsely grating the cucumber into a sieve set up over a bowl. Add a few good pinches of salt, then use your hands to squeeze out as much water as you can. Pour the water away, then tip the cucumber into the empty bowl and add the yoghurt. Pound the garlic in a pestle and mortar with a good pinch of salt until you have a paste, and spoon that into the bowl with the cucumber. Add the dried mint and red wine vinegar and mix really well. Have a taste to make sure you’ve got the balance right, then put aside.
- Preheat a grill pan or grill (see Note) on a high heat. Thread the skewers through the marinated pork pieces, leaving little spaces between them so that the heat cooks everything evenly. Cook the kebabs on the screaming hot pan or grill for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally until done on all sides. Warm your flatbreads in the oven or in a hot dry pan while your kebabs are cooking.
- Just before your kebabs are ready, peel and deseed your blackened peppers, then tear them into strips and put them into a bowl. Roll up your mint leaves, finely slice them and add to the bowl along with the dill. Add a few splashes of red wine vinegar, a pinch or two of salt and pepper and a lug of extra virgin olive oil. Toss and mix together, then have a taste to check the balance of flavours. Cut your lemon into wedges.
- Put a dollop of tzatziki and the meat from one skewer on each warmed flatbread. Top with some of your pepper mixture, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Life doesn’t get much better.
Notes
- I’d always thought dried mint sounded a bit naff, but actually it turned out to be very delicious and it really helped create a more authentic taste.
- Pointed capsicums, also known as pointed peppers, look like long, thin capsicums. They are sold in many supermarkets and some greengrocers.
- Cook these on a barbecue or in a griddle pan, depending on what's easier for you.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
