Kicking off May with these exotic flavoured Moroccan Spiced Pork Kebabs. Or otherwise known as Pinchos Morunos or Pinchitos for us here in Spain. Made with a selection of rich spices, lemon juice and lots of fresh garlic. Make them this weekend!
Friends it’s May and I’m getting into spring mode. And I’m ready for all the patio sitting, grilling and enjoying all things warm and wonderful. And today I’m bringing you something you can enjoy on deck this summer or in the comfort of your kitchen on the stove top.
But what we are up to is kicking off May with these Spiced Moroccan Pork Kebabs. Tender Marinated and spiced pieces of tender pork, a Spanish favourite.
Ingredients to Make Spiced Moroccan Pork Kebabs
A quick look at what we’re using. I used Pork tenderloin for this recipe, but other cuts will work as well. Then we have a lemon, garlic olive oil and a whole load of spices. Those will be explained in a second.
- Pork – I used pork tenderloin cut into cubes
- Moroccan seasoning – cumin, coriander, paprika, ground turmeric, oregano, back pepper and salt.
- Fresh – lemon juice and wedges
- Seasonings – Olive oil and fresh garlic
REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.
Instructions
Here’s the important part, the spices. A mix of cumin, paprika, turmeric, oregano, coriander and cinnamon are used for the spice blend. The full recipe is below. Then it’s mixed with fresh lemon juice, olive oil and lots of fresh garlic. A perfect spice blend.
for best results, marinade overnight
Yes, you can marinade and eat in the same day, but 24 hours will give you the best results.
Just toss all the marinade ingredients in a glass bowl and stir it up Add the pork and coat completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the fridge 30 minutes to one hour before cooking. There’s so much conflicting information about cooking cold meat verses room temperature. Personally, I always find it more tender if it’s cooked at room temperature.
So, skewer them on metal skewers like shown. If you only have the wooden ones, they work just as well.
Cook the kebabs
Okay, so here’s where you can do a few different things. I’ll explain below
Stove top Cooking
Cast iron is king! If you have it, use it. It heats up evenly and keeps the heat maintained at a high heat perfectly. Great for cooking meats. if you don’t have cast iron, it’s not the end of the world.
Preheat the cast iron skillet and add a little olive oil. Cook each side for about 5 – 7 minutes. Flip and cook the other side. Done!
Cook on a Barbecue
Alternatively, these can be cooked on a barbecue. Preheat the barbecue to a medium high heat. Cook them for about the same amount of time. It’s possible they could be ready a minute or so earlier, depending on the heat of your barbecue
My preference is the barbecue but sometimes it’s cold and the stove is just easier.
There you have it, Moroccan Spiced Pork Kebabs. You should really give them a try if you like exotic flavours. They epitomize our local spring fair or Feria, and we’ll all be missing that this year. Right about now we’d all be dusting off our ruffles, filling up our sherry glasses and getting ready to party down. Well, we always have next year.
Because I love kebabs, there’s a whole load of recipes on the blog, like my Sweet & Spicy Chicken Kebabs, the Barbecue Beef Kebabs and the Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with a Charred Pepper Salad. I’ve linked them all in one post to make it easy! Check it out below for a dozen kebab recipes that you might like to try this spring.
Top 12 Barbecue Kebab Recipes. And if it’s more Moroccan food you’re looking for, check out my Roasted Moroccan Chicken.
And if you’re wondering what to serve with these, anything! Locally, they are usually just served with a lemon wedges and some crusty bread on the side. Sometimes, you’ll even see a few fries to go with them. But you can take a look at this Salad Selection to see if anything tickles your fancy!
Enjoy the weekend friends. I’ll be walking up a storm and returning on Monday exhausted…ha! Not sure if I even know how my legs work anymore, but I’ll be finding out.
Hope you enjoy the recipe or find some inspiration for you weekend dinner plans.
As always, keep cooking and have a great weekend!
get the recipe
Moroccan Spiced Pork Kebabs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork tenderloin cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup extra virgen olive oil
- Juice of one lemon
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large glass bowl make the marinade. Combine the cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, oregano, pepper, salt, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Add the cubed pork to the marinade and coat completely. Cover and refeidgerate for up to 24 hours.
- Remove from fridge 30 minutes to one hour before cooking.
- Preheat a large cast iron skillet on the stove top over high heat. Any skillet will work. Drizzle in a little olive oil. Add kebabs to pan, as many as you can fit without over crowding the pan. Cook each side for 6 – 7 minutes. Flip and cook other side. Repeat for all kebabs.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from a recipe found in a local newspaper. Source unknown as it was years ago.For best results, marinade these up to 24 hours. If you don’t have that time, you can marinade up to 8 hours before cooking. I don’t recommend a quick marinade time as they will be lacking in flavour and won’t be as tender
thanks for stopping by and hope to see you soon!
