Cypriot Charcoal Spit-Roasted Pork (Souvla)
Σούβλα SouvlaSay it: SOO-vlah
Souvla is Cyprus's great outdoor feast: big chunks of pork — or lamb — threaded onto a long spit and turned slowly over glowing charcoal until the fat crackles and the outside turns deep gold. It is the centrepiece of Sunday lunches, Easter gatherings and village celebrations, when the fire is lit hours ahead and everyone gathers while the meat turns. The seasoning is deliberately simple, just lemon, oregano, olive oil, salt and garlic, so the smoke and the meat do the talking. Served with warm pita and salad, it tastes of celebration.
Cypriot Charcoal Spit-Roasted Pork (Souvla)
Σούβλα, Souvla
Pronounced SOO-vlah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 45 min
- Total
- 2 hr 10 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the fire
Method
Pat the pork dry with paper towels and cut it into large, even chunks about 3 inches (8 cm) across, leaving a layer of fat on each piece; even sizes are what keep the meat juicy on the spit.
In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Add the meat and toss until every piece is coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Light the charcoal in a chimney starter and tip it into a kettle grill or a shallow charcoal tray, banking the coals to one side for indirect heat; let them burn until covered in grey ash, about 30 minutes.
Thread the chunks tightly onto a long metal spit or four sturdy skewers, pressing them together so they baste one another, and secure the ends.
Set the spit over the coals — not directly above the fire but to the side — cover with the lid if using a kettle, and cook at moderate heat, turning every 10 to 15 minutes.
After about an hour the meat should be pale gold and beginning to drip; keep turning and add a handful of fresh charcoal every 30 minutes to hold a steady, medium heat.
Cook for 1½ to 2 hours in total, until the outside is deep brown and crackling and a thermometer in the thickest chunk reads 170–175°F (77–80°C).
In the last 10 minutes, scatter a pinch more oregano over the meat and slide the spit over the hotter coals for a final crisp on all sides.
Rest the spit on its supports for 10 minutes, then carve the meat off in thick slabs and serve hot.
Regional variant: Lamb souvla (αρνίσιο σούβλα)
Replace the pork with the same weight of bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into slightly larger chunks and seasoned exactly the same way. Lamb needs a little less time: start checking after 1¼ hours and pull it off at 160–165°F (71–74°C) for juicy, faintly pink meat, or carry on to 175°F (80°C) if you like it well done.
Cook's notes
- Leave the fat on and don't trim the meat too lean — dripping fat bastes the chunks and gives souvla its crackling crust.
- Keep a spray bottle of water handy and move the spit aside if fat flares; you want steady, glowing coals, not leaping flames.
- Rest the meat off the fire for ten minutes before carving so the juices stay in the slices.
Serve with
Warm pita or crusty bread, a lemony village salad with olives, and cold beer or a glass of local red.
Make ahead and storage
Marinate the meat up to 24 hours ahead and bring it out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling. Leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated and are excellent sliced cold or reheated in a hot oven.
