The festival is May 8 and 9 at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, located at 573 N. Highland St.
The festival features a variety of Greek food options, including spanakopita, gyros, souvlaki, moussaka, marinated lamb chops, baklava and more than a dozen Greek pastries. Each dish is handmade with love by a small army of volunteers.
I asked Kathy Zambelis, longtime spokesperson for the festival, to share tips for making one of the most popular dishes - Souvlaki.
For the festival, they order over 1,000 pounds of pork for these marinated pork shish-ke-bobs that are one of the most popular street foods in Greece.
The cut of meat
Kathy says the best cut of pork is the tenderloin. Do not cut the cubes too small, or the meat will become dry and tough.
The marinade
Marinate the pork overnight in a mixture of cooking sherry, wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and – of course – oregano.
How to cook it
The traditional way to cook the shish-ka-bobs is on a grill over hot charcoal.
How to serve it
Kathy says Soulvaki is best served on a fresh, warm pita smothered with tzatziki, or over a bed of rice pilaf.
The Greek specialties served at Memphis Greek Festival can be enjoyed at the event, or picked up to take home through the event’s drive-thru.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Bon Appetit!
For more information about Memphis Greek Festival, visit memphisgreekfestival.com.
Souvlaki
- 1 cup cooking sherry (or your favorite wine)
- 1/2 cup wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup oregano
- 2 to 3 chopped garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of pork tenderloin, cubed (cut fairly large)
- 1/2 of juice from 1 lemon (or more if you like it), for garnish when serving
Mix the first 7 ingredients and pour over the cubed meat. Marinate overnight.
Remove the meat from the marinade. Reserve the marinade and drain the meat on paper towels.
Skewer meat on wooden skewers. (Tip: Be sure to soak skewers so they do not burn.)
Cook the meat on a grill over a hot charcoal fire (or in the oven on broil), basting occasionally with the marinade until the desired temperature. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the pork once cooked.
Serve wrapped in pita bread with Tzatziki sauce or over rice pilaf.
Serves 4.
Recipe used with permission from Kathy Zambelis.
