Pork Kebabs with Asian spice (BBQ Chinese Pork Souvlaki)

Pork Kebabs with Asian spice (BBQ Chinese Pork Souvlaki)

Pork kebabs with Asian spice or known in my house as Chinese Souvlaki is an East meets West recipe.

Tender pork belly kebabs marinated in an Oriental style marinade gives a nice twist on a traditional Cypriot cooking method. Using pork belly creates bite sized morsels of crunchy crackling, moist succulent pork and an Oriental kick of chilli that’s perfect to liven up any BBQ!

Chinese BBQ pork kebabs are best made with pork belly or shoulder (I prefer pork belly) as the fat renders down and keeps the meat moist when cooked on a high heat and reduces the risk of drying out.

Pork Souvlaki by Theo Michaels
Pork Souvlaki on the coals

My Chinese BBQ pork kebabs are in essence Cypriot pork souvlaki with a fantastic Asian marinade, ergo, Chinese Souvlaki.

You can find out more about traditional Cypriot Pork Souvlaki using pork belly or shoulder, oregano, olive oil, salt, lemon juice, maybe some garlic.. and that’s the way my family have cooked it for as long as I can remember.

But today I just fancied something with a little kick of spice and pork and Asian flavours work so well together that I could resist making some Chinese BBQ pork kebabs instead.

Souvlaki is great at anytime of year and is easy to do under your grill during the winter months, but I can’t lie – pork souvlaki is best when done on the BBQ, it just needs the flavour of the barbecue and the charring from the hot coals to add the final piece of the flavour jigsaw.

Now if you are thinking; “I like small pieces of meat cooked over charcoal…but I LOVE massive big chunks of meat slow cooked over huge Excalibur type skewers…” – you need to check out my lamb souvla recipe and video!

Pork Kebabs recipe is below my video!

Pork Kebabs with Asian Spice Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 400g rindless pork belly slices
  • 60ml Shaoshing Rice Wine (substitute for sherry if not available)
  • 60ml light soy sauce
  • 30ml rice wine vinegar (substitute for white wine vinegar if not available)
  • Pinch salt & pepper
  • ½ tbl Chinese five spice powder
  • 1 whole red chilli finely sliced
  • 1 tbl sugar
  • Small bunch fresh coriander chopped
  • 1 clove garlic crushed

Chinese BBQ Pork Kebabs Method:

  1. First make the marinade by adding all the ingredients into a bowl except the pork and fresh coriander.
  1. Cut the pork belly strips at 2 inch intervals and combine with the marinade. Leave overnight or just an hour to help infuse.
  1. When ready, drain the marinade away from the pork belly and skewer. If using wooden skewers soak them for an hour first to stop them burning on the BBQ.
  1. Place the skewer over the coals and cook on a medium heat for about 20 minutes turning frequently (it may take slightly less time if you are cooking them on a regular BBQ and just turning them by hand).

TIP: Cooking on a BBQ varies a lot (heat of coals, how high the grill is, size of pork, wind, etc.) so after 10 minutes start checking your kebabs. To see if your pork souvlaki is done, or anything on the BBQ for that matter, the easiest way is to just slice one open and take a look – if it looks done it probably is! If not, leave it for another 5 minutes then check again.

  1. Once cooked simply hold the skewer vertically with the point on a chopping board and using a fork / back of a knife push down each piece of pork until all area removed.
  1. Place on a serving dish, give a little squeeze of fresh lime, a scattering of fresh coriander and any left-over chilli for some colour and heat.

Don’t have a rotisserie BBQ? (sharp intake of breath!) No problem; just place the skewers straight on the grill and cook on a high heat for a about 10 minutes turning frequently.

Goes great wrapped up in some homemade flatbread!


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1 thought on “Pork Kebabs with Asian spice (BBQ Chinese Pork Souvlaki)”

  • My pork souvlaki recipe works just as well with a marinade of rosemary, garlic and lemon – I mean, pork belly, charcoal.. what’s not to like?!

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