Last week I mentioned I teamed up with Greektown to showcase their amazing offerings. Today’s installment is all about food. I receive three to four texts a week from friends asking me what to order in Greektown. After being with a Greek for nearly a decade, I have my order down. Since I’m asked so frequently, I have my order saved in my phone notes so that when someone asks, I can copy and paste it into a text. Take a peek below to see what you should order to eat the perfect Greek meal. I filmed this video with my family at Greek Islands and it teaches you how to order Greek food like a Greek in Greektown. Even better, I’m also sharing one of Spiro’s famous Greek recipes so you can cook at home like a Greek too!
If you’ve ever had dinner at my house, chances are you’ve witnessed Spiro’s souvlakia show. (It’s highly entertaining and extremely tasty!) He decided to share his famous souvlakia recipe with you, so you can create a souvlakia show in your home. This recipe is so delicious and odds are, you’ve probably never made anything like it before. It is super simple, only takes a little bit of time, is very inexpensive and you’re guaranteed to have leftovers. It’s also extremely entertaining for your guests to watch you cook this. Try it out and also make sure to include this homemade tzatziki recipe because you MUST have it in order to make the souvlakia. Once you master this, you can consider yourself and honorary Greek (like me!). Please share pictures and comment below if you try it out. I am dying to see your creations!
Lots of love to Greentown Chicago for sponsoring this post! It is partnerships like this that make documenting our journey possible.
- Prep time: 1h
- Cook time: 30min
- Total time: 1h 30min
- Serves: 6
This recipe is so delicious and odds are, you’ve probably never made anything like it before.
- 1 White Onion, Thinly Sliced
- 2 Beefsteak Tomatoes, Sliced
- 1 Bunch Fresh Parsley
- 5 Lbs. Pork Shoulder (Whole Piece)
- Aluminum Foil
- Parchment Paper
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
- Oregano to Taste
- 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Wooden Skewers
- Turn broiler to medium. Chop the fresh parsley and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. (There isn't an exact amount but don't go crazy. This will be your seasoning for everything.)
- Slice the pork into pieces and then cut into 1x1 inch cubes. The pork shoulder has a fat lining on the outside. Slice and cube the fat until you have a cube for each skewers. DO NOT throw the remaining fat.
- While slicing the pork, place the wooden skewers in a glass of water. The skewers must soak to keep the wood from burning or splintering in the oven.
- Slide eight to nine pieces of pork on each skewer and one cube of fat. Place the fat randomly on each skewer so each cube is in a different position.
- Place the skewers on a broiler pan so they are evenly lined up.
- Lay the remaining fat over the skewers.
- Season both sides of the skewers with the oregano, salt and pepper mix.
- Place the pan in the center of the oven (4-5 inches from the top) and broil for approximately 15 minutes on each side. Once you have a nice, crispy color (as shown in the picture), flip. The goal is to achieve the same color and crispiness on both sides.
- While the meat is cooking, prepare the pita. Make more seasoning mix and add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Brush this mix on one side of the pita.
- Remove the skewers from the oven and turn it off. Stack the pitas on top of each other and place in the oven to warm. Do NOT allow the pitas to crisp. They should only be warm and the pita should be flexible so you can fold it in half.
- Mix more of the oregano, salt and pepper together and season the sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced onions.
- Make the tzatziki (see the link above in the post). Having homemade tzatziki is key! (Inside tip: Prep your tzatziki the night before.)
- Place one pita on a piece of pre-cut parchment or wax paper. The pita should extend 2-3 inches over the parchment paper. Place the pork skewer on the pita and fold the pita in half.
- Squeeze everything together and pull the skewer out. You should be left with pork inside the pita.
- Add the sliced tomato, onions, tzatziki and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.
- Secret tip: If you have French fries handy, stick them inside too (it's a Spiro essential).
- Now you're Greek! This recipe is super easy and we fed five adults, one child and still had leftovers for under $25. You can also cut up extra pita and tzatziki to serve on the side.
- EXTRA TIP: Souvlakia MUST be eaten warm so make sure you're ready when it comes out of the oven. It's grab and go from the kitchen!
Author: Spiro
Lynda Gears
I love this recipe so much. I was the sales manager at Haberdasher Lofts on Jackson. I ate at Greek Islands every day lol. Spirits recipe is ?. I still meet the boys now and then over there. Ask Spiros if he knows the Loukas Brothers. All Greeks know each other