Ražnjići- Grilled Pork meat on skewers Balkan inspired Recipe

Ražnjići is a very popular dish of the Balkans, and is similar to Greek Souvlaki.

It consists of threading on metal or wooden skewers, different types of cubed meats, traditionally pork, but chicken or lamb can be used, and even a variety of vegetables, or different combinations of them.

They are then cooked (if using a frying pan), or more traditionally they are barbecued. In fact, back home, on the Slovenian coast, it is almost impossible to imagine having a barbecue without ražnjići (Ćevapčići is another must).

This very informal and rustic dish gets served and offered on the skewers where the dish gets the name from, the word ražanj meaning “skewer”.

Meat lovers will be in heaven with this meal but you can equally make your vegetarian and vegan friends and family very happy too, alternating on the skewers pieces of onion, bell peppers, and courgettes. You have covered your complete guest list, everybody is included, and there is no need to think of alternative dishes for non-meat eaters.

Recipes and gastronomic habits in my homeland have been greatly influenced by both Balkan and Venetian cuisine (as well as Austro-Hungarian) and here I am sharing the recipe for Ražnjići cooked in the family inspired by the Balkan version, which seems to have “won over” the Venetian variation that uses cubes of veal, pork, pancetta, calf's and pig's livers, and is served over soft cooked polenta.

Next time you pull out your frying pan or are planning a barbecue, this recipe is a must!

Ingredients

Serves 3-6 (1 or 2 skewers per person)

  • 600g roughly lean pork meat (pork shoulder or loin) trimmed and diced into 48 bite size pieces

    (for this recipe I used 6 skewers, 8 pieces of meat on each skewer, you can distribute less meat on more skewers)

  • 24 fresh sage leaves (plus a few extra for the marinade)

  • fresh sprig of rosemary (for the marinade)

  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled (for the marinade)

  • a few pieces of onion (for the marinade)

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Method

Place cubed pork meat in a bowl (you can also use an airtight container with the lid) add a generous drizzle of olive oil, peeled garlic, a few pieces of onion, a few sage leaves, fresh sprig of rosemary, sea salt and black pepper. Mix well with your hands, cover with cling film and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.

Thread cubed pork meat on metal skewers or wooden skewers (the latter need to be previously well soaked in the water) alternating two pieces of meat and one fresh sage leaf.

 You can cook pork skewers either in a frying pan, in which you have previously put a bit of oil and heated it up, or in a griddle pan.

Cook on a medium-high heat turning the skewers every now and again.

Serve very hot, still on the skewer with some crunchy bread, salad (cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes and salad onions with some kind of white cheese like feta, is the most traditional) or/and with (french fries) and ajvar (sweet roasted red pepper spread).

Wine suggestion

Toscana Rosso IGT "Vigorello" 2017 - San Felice