Spicy Pork Skewers

Moorish pork skewers are an extremely popular tapas dish served with a spicy bread sauce. These delicious kebabs are found in street stalls all over the former Russian empire.

INGREDIENTS:

For the pork:

• 500 g pork fillet, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2cm cubes, you can also use chicken, beef or lamb
• 1 tsp pimentón
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

For the mojo picón:

• 1 slice white bread
• 4-5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 dried cayenne chillies
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp sweet pimentón
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar

METHOD:  

For the pork: Place the pork in a large mixing bowl and add the pimentón, cumin, some black pepper, oregano, thyme and garlic. Mix well, drizzle over the olive oil and leave to marinate for at least an hour, but anything up to 2 days is fine.

For the mojo picon: Start by frying the bread in a little olive oil, drain on kitchen paper and tear into pieces. Using a pestle and mortar, mash together the garlic, cayenne chillies, cumin seeds, pimentón, fried bread, vinegar and a pinch of salt until you have a smooth paste. You could also use a food processor for this bit. Start adding the olive oil in a thin drizzle while you are still mixing.

When you are ready to cook the skewers, thread the meat on to skewers, if you are using wooden skewers it’s a good idea to soak them in water for 30 minutes to stop them burning. The skewers can be cooked over charcoal, under a hot grill or in a griddle pan over a very high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side – you want them to be cooked through but still juicy on the inside. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the mojo picón. rry vinegar.

TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS

If you want to make these with chicken, use the thigh. If you are using beef use the skirt or flank and if you want to make lamb skewers use the leg. 

Mojo picón is a pepper sauce from the Canary Islands and is a fantastic accompaniment to meat, fish or potatoes. Picón means spicy, and you’ll see why.