Souvlaki - Grilled Lamb Shoulder Chop with Herbed Yogurt Sauce and Pita

Ok, so souvlaki is traditionally made with pork and it’s always skewered, but if you order “ena souvlaki pita” in Greece you’ll supposedly get meat off the skewer in pita, with tzatziki, tomato and onions. Instead of tzatziki, this recipe uses a thick herb yogurt “sauce” to top the lamb and some grilled pieces of pita to eat along with it. Additionally a Greek-inspired salad on the side just to kick the healthiness up another 10 notches. It’s healthy, delicious and so easy to make you’ll have more time to drink beer, play horseshoes, make a sandcastle and remove the sand from your bathing suit.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 4 lamb shoulder chops (or any other type of lamb chop)
2. 2 cups greek yogurt OR plain yogurt, drained
3. 1 clove garlic, finely minced
4. 1/4 cup minced parsley
5. 1/4 cup minced mint
6. 1/4 cup minced dill or fennel tops
7. 3 tablespoon minced chives
8. lemon juice
9. salt and pepper
10. pita, grilled

Directions

1. If using non-Greek yogurt, make sure you drain your yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or paper towels for an hour or so. The thicker the better, so the longer you let it sit, the better.
2. Mix all your herbs in the yogurt along with the garlic, some lemon juice and salt. Stir and taste for seasoning or more lemon juice . Allow flavors to meld together for at least a half hour.
3. Season your lamb with plenty of kosher salt and fire up your grill or grill pan. When it’s nice and hot, grill your lamb on both sides for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Allow to rest for a few minutes before plating. Grill some pita bread next on each side for about a minute.
4. Plate your dish by topping each piece of grilled lamb with the herbed yogurt sauce and eat with a Greek Salad or grill some baby potatoes and toss with olive oil and some chunks of feta or even with some french fries.

Notes