Recipe of the Week: Grilled Pork Spiedini with Gremolata Sauce
These little skewers are bursting with Italian flair. Sold already prepared at many Italian butchers, I like to prepare them ahead and marinate them in white wine, mustard, herbs and sugar in the refrigerator overnight before grilling them. Served with gremolata sauce and farro salad, they make a delicious meal to be served to family or friends. Serves eight. (Chef tip: Cover half of the grill with foil and place naked skewers on it; this way they will not burn.)
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed, cut into one-inch cubes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 pre-soaked skewers
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 red and yellow bell peppers, core and sliced
1 red onion, peeled and sliced
GREMOLATA SAUSE:
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest from one lemon
2 teaspoons capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine fresh herb mixture and marinate in the refrigerator overnight: wine, herbs, salt, sugar and pepper in a small bowl. Toss pork cubes with mustard. Coat pork cubes in the herb mixture. Heat the grill to medium.
In a small, non-reactive bowl, combine gremolata ingredients and set aside until ready to serve.
Heat the grill over medium-high heat. Brush the rack or pan with vegetable oil to prevent the spiedini from sticking. Skewer four pork cubes on an eight-inch pre-soaked skewer with cherry tomatoes, pepper and onion slices. Prepare all the skewers. Grill the pork spiedini on each side, until lightly charred, about 15 minutes. Serve warm over farro salad, topped with gremolata sauce.