Two kebabs for the barbecue with their respective sauces. We couldn’t decide which one to do, so we halved each recipe and made both. A meat probe is great for checking that barbecued meat is cooked – you are looking for 63C for medium or 71C for well done. You can buy a good-quality pesto if you don’t want to make your own.
Lemony pork kebabs with feta & pepper sauce, makes 6-8 kebabs
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- a handful of thyme sprigs, roughly chopped
- 1.2kg pork leg, diced
- 2 red peppers, diced
FOR THE FETA AND RED PEPPER SAUCE:
- 2 red peppers
- 200g feta
- ½-1 tsp chilli flakes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Mix the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, garlic and thyme together. Sesaon with salt and pepper, then add the pork and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
When ready to cook get a barbecue ready for both direct and indirect cooking.
Put the whole peppers for the sauce directly over the fire and char the skins all over until blackened. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling film, then leave for a few minutes or until cool enough to handle. Rub off the skin and discard the stems and seeds. Put the pepper flesh into a food processor with the feta, chilli flakes and olive oil, season, then blend to a purée. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
Thread the pork and pepper pieces onto skewers. Set onto the barbecue, slightly away from the fire so they cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
Serve with the feta and red pepper sauce.
Balsamic pork kebabs with pesto dressing, makes 8 kebabs
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1.2kg pork leg, diced
- a bunch of scallions, cut into 4cm lengths
FOR THE PESTO (or use good-quality shop-bought pesto)
- 50g pine nuts, toasted
- 30g basil, leaves and stems, roughly torn
- 40g Parmesan, grated
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
Mix the balsamic, olive oil, brown sugar, garlic and smoked paprika together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the pork pieces. Cover and put into the fridge for 12-24 hours.
To make the pesto, tip the pine nuts, basil, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a little salt into a food processor and blend to a purée. Scrape the pesto into a bowl and set aside.
When ready to cook get the barbecue prepped for direct and indirect cooking.
Thread the pork and scallions on to skewers. Set onto the barbecue, slightly away from the fire so they cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
Serve with the pesto on the side.
(Original recipes from Seared by Genevieve Taylor, Hardie Grant: Quadrille, 2022).
Jono & Jules do food & wine 