Equipment
Ingredients
Pork & Marinade
- 800 g pork neck or shoulder, cut into 3cm cubes
- 60 ml olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 g smoked paprika
- 4 g ground cumin
- 10 g salt
- 4 g black pepper, freshly ground
Sweet & Spicy Plum Sauce
- 300 g red plums, pitted and chopped
- 40 g brown sugar
- 30 ml apple cider vinegar
- 10 g fresh ginger, grated
- 1 fresh red chili, finely chopped
- 15 ml tamari or soy sauce
Refreshing Sour Cream Dip
- 200 g sour cream, chilled
- 5 g fresh dill, finely chopped
- 5 g fresh chives, finely chopped
- 10 ml lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated to paste
- salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Combine olive oil, minced garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the cubed pork and toss to coat thoroughly.
For the plum sauce: In a small saucepan, combine chopped plums, brown sugar, cider vinegar, grated ginger, chopped chili, and soy sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat until the plums break down and the sauce thickens into a glaze consistency.
For the dip: In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, chopped dill, chives, lemon juice, and the grated garlic paste. Season with a pinch of salt and refrigerate until serving.
Thread the marinated pork cubes onto the skewers, leaving a tiny bit of space between pieces to ensure even heat distribution.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat (approx. 200°C/400°F). Grill the skewers, turning every 2-3 minutes, until the pork is charred on the edges and cooked through (internal temperature 65°C/150°F).
Remove kebabs from the grill and let them rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot with the cold sour cream dip and the warm or room-temperature plum sauce on the side.
Chef's Notes
- Pork neck (also known as collar) is the superior cut for kebabs due to its intramuscular fat, which renders during grilling to keep the meat moist. Loin will dry out rapidly.
- If fresh plums are out of season, you can substitute a high-quality plum jam; omit the brown sugar and reduce the cooking time significantly.
- Grate the garlic for the sour cream dip into a paste rather than chopping it; this prevents harsh raw garlic chunks and ensures the flavor permeates the cream evenly.
- The acid in the sour cream balances the fat of the pork, while the plum sauce provides the necessary sweetness to cut the smoke.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store meat removed from skewers. Store sauces in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 2 months — Freezing cooked pork may affect texture; plum sauce freezes well; do not freeze sour cream dip.
Reheating: Reheat pork gently in a pan or oven to 165°F. Serve sauces cold or room temperature.
