GREEK LAMB ON SKEWERS (SOUVLAKI)

Greek Lamb on Skewers (Souvlaki) image

I spent a lot of time in Greece and this was by far my favorite dish. I love it served on a hot pita with marinated onions, tomatoes, and feta cheese; all topped with garlicky tzaziki sauce. I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but I've been making it for years with great success. Serve with fried calamari and French fries. Make a lot of tzaziki so there is plenty for dipping. Time to prep does not include the very important marinade time.

Provided by Pokey in San Antonio

Time 50m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 29

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
3 lbs lamb
4 tomatoes (cut into wedges)
2 onions (cut into strips)
1/2 lb feta cheese (cubed)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove (crushed)
2 tablespoons dill (chopped)
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups yogurt
1/2 cup cucumber (peeled, seeded, grated)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
1 tablespoon lemon juice
12 pita breads
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika

Steps:

For the marinade: Combine first 8 ingredients.
Cut lamb up into 1/2" thick, 1" wide, 3" long strips.
Pour marinade over lamb and chill overnight. Turning occasionally.
For the veggies: Combine the next 10 ingredients and let chill over night.
Skewer meat. If using wooden skewers, soak for an hour in water first. About 8 slices per stick.
Prepare grill. Add wood chips. Any type will do.
Grill until meat is done, brushing often with marinade. Meat should be brown around the edges, but still a little pink in the center. Don't dry the meat out.
Serve with warm pita. Guests should wrap a warm pita round the meat and pull the skewer our, then top their "taco" with marinated veggies, feta, and tzaziki.
For the tzaziki: Place the yogurt in cheese cloth. Twist to bind and squeeze the yogurt. Place in colander over a bowl to drain for an hour or so.
Peel and slice a cucumber down the middle, and spoon out the seeds.
Grate the cucumber. Squeeze out as much juice as you can.
In a bowl, mix the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, oil, salt, mint, and lemon juice. Let chill a few hours (over night is best).
For the pita: Buy pita flat bread (whole breads without the pocket).
Mix olive oil with paprika.
Brush each piece on both sides with a little of the olive oil.
Place on hot griddle and warm thoroughly (about a minute or so on each side).
Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1438.4, Fat 98.2, SaturatedFat 25.7, Cholesterol 164.4, Sodium 1977.8, Carbohydrate 83.5, Fiber 5.4, Sugar 11.4, Protein 52.7