Italian Pork Spiedini Food

CLASSIC SPIEDINI RECIPE (ITALIAN STYLE KEBABS)

Steps:

• For the Sauce: Add the olive oil and garlic to a medium-size saucepot over low heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes just until you smell it.
• Add in the crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, and ½ lemon and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Finish with oregano, salt, and pepper.
• For the Spiedini: Add the olive oil to a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until combined.
• Taking 1 slice of beef at a time, completely coat it in the olive oil, and then dredge it in the breadcrumbs until coated.
• Roll the beef up and set it aside on a cookie sheet tray. Slice it in half if it's too big.
• To Skewer: Add on some of the breaded beef followed up with a ½ bay leaf, onion, peppers, and loose Italian sausage and repeat until the 12" skewer is full, and then repeat until all of the other skewers are full and all of the ingredients have been used. Set them on a cookie sheet tray.
• Add a small amount of olive oil to a flat top griddle or a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat and sear the skewers, in batches if need be, for 2-4 minutes per side or until browned and cooked throughout.
• Serve the spiedini alongside the amogio sauce and garnish with optional chopped fresh parsley.

CALABRIAN SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Season the pork well with a good amount of black pepper and grey salt. Mince the garlic and then, sprinkle with salt to help the mashing process. Using the side of a knife, mash it into a paste (this process is helped along if you sprinkle the garlic with a little salt to help break it up). The mashed garlic flavor will spread throughout the sausage more easily than minced garlic. Add the garlic to the sausage, then add the California chili powder (this is a sweet chili that will give the sausage a strong red color). Add the chili flakes, beer, and fennel seeds and mix well. Cover sausage in a bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Chef's note: if you'd like to test pork sausage for seasoning, fry a little in a small pan with some olive oil before tasting. Remember, you can always add more seasoning, but you can never take it away!
• To form spiedini:
• Preheat a grill.
• Just before your cookout, soak 12-inch wooden skewers in water for 1 hour so they won't catch on fire when you place them on the grill. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Form the sausage into baseball sized meatballs and place on the cookie sheet. To form the spiedini, flatten the balls into patties, place 2 skewers in the middle of a sausage patty, then wrap the patty firmly around the skewer. Wrap the spiedini in foil that you will use to bring them to the grill.
• To Grill spiedini:
• Place spiedini on the cooler part of the coals or on a medium grill. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill for about 10 minutes on each side, until well cooked.

ITALIAN PORK SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Marinate pork in salad dressing for 30 minutes.
• Thread pork on skewers and discard marinade (if using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them for 30 minutes prior to cooking).
• Grill for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, until done.

SPIDINI'S

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Take a 2-ounce piece of meat and dip in oil on both sides then press in bread crumbs to coat on both sides. Roll firmly and place in an oiled 2-inch deep casserole dish side by side with sides touching. When all are rolled, place one bay leaf and a half of a onion ring in between each rolled spidini. Place dish uncovered in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit. Cut spidini's into bite size portions discarding the bay leaves.

PORK SPIEDINI

Steps:

• Mix together all marinade ingredients and place in a sealable plastic bag.
• Add pork cubes, seal and refrigerate for 2 hours (can be more).
• Thread onto skewers.
• Discard marinade.
• Grill over hot coals for 5 minutes, turn and grill another 5 minutes or until done.

PORK LOIN SPIEDINO WITH PINE NUT, GARLIC, AND CURRANT SOFFRITTO

Steps:

• In a bowl, toss the pork with the salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least overnight or up to 3 days.
• To make the soffritto, soak the currants in just enough warm water to cover for about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the pine nuts and 1/2 cup of the olive oil to a small, heavy pot and place over low heat. Gradually bring to a low simmer, stirring frequently, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until the pine nuts have started to brown. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook on low heat for about 8 minutes, or until the garlic is a light golden brown. Watch the soffritto carefully; the pine nuts and garlic will burn easily. Drain the currants, add them to the pot, and then remove the pot from the heat. Let the soffritto cool to room temperature. It will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
• About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the pork from the refrigerator. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water to cover to prevent them from scorching. Prepare a hot fire in a grill, stacking the coals to one side so you have two areas of heat, one with direct heat and one with indirect heat.
• Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the pork and toss to coat evenly. Drain the skewers, and thread about 5 pieces of pork onto each skewer.
• Place the skewers over the coals and grill for about 1 minute on each side, or until well seared. Move the skewers to the cooler side of the grill and continue to cook over indirect heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked medium-well but still juicy.
• Arrange a bed of arugula on a platter. Place the pork skewers on top. Drizzle some of the soffritto over the top of the pork and the arugula. Pass the remaining sauce at the table. Serve immediately.