Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Impromptu Greek Pork Tacos

I had a yen for pork gyros today. Alas, I was lacking some key ingredients for my gyros, and had no ambition to trek to the store. So it was an improv supper. No recipe, no plan; just cooking on the fly.

OK, so it wasn't completely on the fly. I actually had some thawed pork in the fridge, about a pound of boneless pork loin.

I butterflied pork so it would be easier to cook through without burning the outside. I decided on a quick, room temperature marinade. So first, I poked the pork a bunch of times with a fork. I don't know if this actually accomplishes anything, but I have this illusion that it makes the flavor seep in better. I drizzled the pork with some olive oil and topped it with some minced garlic -- about four cloves. Then I squeezed on some lemon juice -- maybe a few tablespoons overall -- and sprinkled the pork liberally with salt, pepper, and oregano. Oregano makes me happy.

I decided to grill a red onion to throw in. So I chopped it in four thick slices and sprinkled it with some olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano -- basically, the same treatment as the pork, minus the garlic.

Time to grill. I was going to grill outside, but it was chilly and dark. You should never grill pork in the dark. If you haven't warned your children yet, start now. Thank goodness for grill pans.

My onions finished grilling loooong before my pork (I should have seen that coming), and my pork had a tendency to really stick. (I'm kind of stingy with the olive oil.) I just deglazed the pan with wine from time to time, instead. (I am not stingy with the wine.)

Then, the sauce. Traditional tzatziki, or yogurt sauce, includes yogurt, salt, mint, lemon, garlic, and sometimes cucumber. I had half of these items. So I chopped up scallions and mixed them with some salt and plain, nonfat Greek yogurt.

My pork still wasn't done, so I shredded some lettuce. And ate some Doritos. And watched the hubby eat sushi. And, finally, pondered the pita question. Thankfully, I am never without tortillas, which taste better than most store-bought pita breads, anyway. I sliced up the pork, served on toasted tortillas with the lettuce and yogurt sauce, and voila! Greek pork tacos.

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