Peri-peri pork skewers
Spicy, aromatic and full of the complex flavors of charred food, these meat-and-vegetable skewers may be served as a main dish, or as a finger food to accompany cocktail drinks.Siling labuyo, a cultivar of Capsicum frutescens to which peri-peri chili belongs, was used here. You may substitute other chili variety that is accessible to you but note that the flavor and heat level of the sauce will be affected.
Ingredients
Peri-peri sauce
- 4 to 5 siling labuyo
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup cilantro roots and stems
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes we use Korean
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon rock salt
- juice of one lemon or lime
- ¼ to ⅓ cup olive oil or just enough to puree the chilies (doesn’t have to be extra virgin)
Skewers
- 3 to 4 Japanese cucumbers cut into thick rings
- 800 grams cooked pork cut into 1½-inch cubes
Instructions
Make the sauce / marinade
- In an oil-free frying pan, dry fry the chilies for a few minutes. Cool then roughly chop, discarding the stems.
- While the chilies cool, peel and grate the garlic, and roughly chop the cilantro.
- Put all the peri-peri sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pour in the olive oil and lemon juice. Process until smooth.
Assemble
- Place the cucumbers in one bowl and the pork in another.
- Toss the cucumbers with a heaping tablespoon of peri-peri sauce.
- Add two tablespoons of peri-peri sauce to the pork and toss well.
- Thread the pork and cucumber alternatingly with the bamboo skewers.
Grill
- Arrange the skewers on a very hot grill at least an inch apart.
- Grill the skewered pork and cucumber, turning ofen and brushing with more peri-peri sauce with every turn, until sufficiently charred to your satisfaction.