BBQ Kóndo - Soúvli.....Skewer of Pork Pieces On The Spit

A Kondo Souvli

Kóndo Soúvli means "short skewer". Don't really know why it's called that because it is made from marinated big pieces of pork passed onto a long skewer rotated by a motor over hot charcoal.

For private home purposes it is passed through a normal shish kebab skewer or souvlaki as it is known in Greece about 10 inches long, you can either buy ready from the supermarket (during Easter days supermarkets have them ready to buy and cook) or you can fix it at home by buying the pieces of pork and doing all the job yourself. 

The idea of the Kónto Soúvli is that as it turns, the heat from the charcoal cooks only the surface all all round, so after a while it has been turning, you stop the machine from revolving, you quickly put your plate under it, and cut only about an inch of the surface. The rest inside still needs to cook. In professional taverns they usually have it cooking about 4 to 5 hours before people are expected, so there would be more cooked meat to serve.
The video you are about to see (courstesy of www.sindagespareas.com  on Google) is a Kóndo Soúvli made by Kirá Katína who also explains how she marinates it.  Watch it, it's fun and it gives you a full taste of Greece!! What she says may be Greek to you, but who cares, it's fun and the music is good.
Kóntosoúvli by Katina
Assuming you buy one ready made from your butcher,  you can add some Thyme and oil and straight on your grill like I did.  I left it for 4 hours giving it some BBQ sauce only as the end, and some wet mesquite chips to give it the smoky flavour and I'll tell you it was fan...tastic. I began it at 10 am so that we could eat at two pm.
You could put some jacket potatoes in the charcoal if you wish.

Meat As Bought From The Supermarket
Added Some Oil, Pepper And Thyme And
Rubbed The Whole Lot .

Here are some pictures I took in order to give you a general idea what I did. It is very easy and you can impress your friends by serving this piece of meat while eating on your terrace and drinking ouzo and eating Feta with tomato, French fried potatoes, and Tza-Tzi-Ki with very fresh hot bread.
You will need:
Serves 6 with other Greek dishes and salads.
-  1.5 kg of pork from the leg cut in pieces as big as
your fist (a man's fist: no discrimination there ladies! It's
just that your fists are smaller than the required size).
-  1 Big fresh Tomato cut in slices.



-  1 Big onion also cut in slices.
-  Oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and Thyme.

Waiting For Charcoal To Get Ready
This Is A Piece Of Wet Olive Wood .

Method:

-  Rub meat with oil, salt, pepper and Thyme,
or whatever else you would like to add. Maybe
Garlic, raw onion pieces, chili peppers, oregano.
-  Refrigerate overnight covered with plastic
wrap.
-  Next day use a simple wooden skewer to
pass the pieces of meat one by one putting
in between them 1 or 2 slices of tomato and
onion. just as you see in my first picture above.

Notice Distance Between Meat And Charcoal
Basting Every Hour With Marinade Liquid.

-  Get your charcoal ready piling them up in
one heap on one side of your barbecue. Cover
to make it really hot.
-  Set your marinated meat on the other side
of the grill just as you see on the photo.
-  (Future recipes : Tza Tzi Ki,  Real Greek
Salad, Fried Zucchini ).  In fact I would like your feedback on what recipes you would like
me to give you.

Close Up Of The Delicious Kóndo Soúvli
Nothing You've Eaten Before Unless You
Came To Greece And You Can Make It
In Your Back Yard Anywhere In The World!

Leaving Vent Semi Opened For Lighter Smoking

-  Every hour baste it with the marinade liquid and only at the end, add some mesquite chips for smoke (I like the taste of smoke in my meat).
-  Keep the barbecue vent half closed to lightly smoke the meat.
-  When meat is done, throw skewer away, and slice as you wish.
Et Voila!!
Bon appétit and enjoy, this first of a series of
barbecues / grilling.
Stelio

Wet Mesquite Chips