Pork Kebabs with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

I paired this with homemade pita bread and it was absolutely delicious. It almost rivals the gyros I love so much at Niko Nikos.  The best part was that Miss F gobbled up the pork as if they were her beloved chicken nuggets.  She loves gyros meat, so the flavors were very similar.  This recipe will be going into regular rotation at our house, but the homemade pita is a must for them.  I broiled the kebabs, but they would also be fantastic on the grill.  The "yogurt sauce" is pretty much my go to for tzatiki sauce.  If you use plain yogurt instead of Greek yogurt, drain it over a bowl fitted with a fine mssh strainer lined with a paper towel over night to drain the excess water out.

Pork Kebabs with Yogurt Sauce
serves 4

1 cup red wine
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pound pork, cut into 1 1⁄2" cubes
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 cucumber
1 ½ cups yogurt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt, to taste

4 pita breads, warmed

Whisk together the wine, oregano, cumin, salt, thyme, cinnamon, and garlic in a large bowl. Add the cubes of pork and toss well to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to let marinate at room temperature for at least 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.

Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce: Trim the ends off the cucumber and peel it. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scrape out and discard the seeds from each half. Finely chop the cucumber and transfer it to a medium bowl. Stir in the yogurt, garlic, and season with salt. Cover the sauce with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Arrange an oven rack 7–8" from the broiler element and heat broiler. Remove the pork from the marinade (reserve marinade), thread the cubes onto 4 metal or wooden skewers, and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet. (If using wooden skewers, make sure to cover the ends completely with the pork cubes, to prevent the skewers from burning.) Season the pork with salt and pepper. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Broil the kebabs, generously basting with the marinade occasionally, until browned on all sides and cooked through, 20–25 minutes. (Alternatively, the kebabs may be cooked over a medium-hot grill for the same amount of time.)

Serve with the yogurt sauce and the pita.

Adapted from Saveur

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