Serving suggestion. Nutrition is approximate.
Equipment
- Outdoor charcoal or gas grill
- flat metal skewers
- tongs
- insulated gloves
- food thermometer.
Before you begin
US cup = 240 ml; tablespoon = 15 ml; teaspoon = 5 ml. Use listed gram weights for consistency; weights are raw or dry unless described as cooked or drained.
- A shoulder cube should have a little marbling. Very lean loin cooks faster but is less forgiving. Never operate a charcoal grill indoors, and never reuse a raw-meat plate for cooked skewers without washing it.
Make it work
- A shoulder cube should have a little marbling. Very lean loin cooks faster but is less forgiving. Never operate a charcoal grill indoors, and never reuse a raw-meat plate for cooked skewers without washing it.
Prep 20 min · Cook 22 min · Waiting 243 min
Serves 4 / Prep 20 min / Chill 1-4 h / Grill 15-22 min / Rest at least 3 min. Times are estimates; chilling and resting are included in total time.
Ingredients
- 1000 g / 35.3 oz Boneless pork collar (neck), in 3 cm cubes
- 10 g / 0.3 oz Fine salt, for pork
- 1/2 tsp / about 0.9 g Ground black pepper
- 150 g / 5.3 oz Red onion, thinly sliced
- 20 ml / 0.7 US fl oz Red wine vinegar
- 20 ml / 0.7 US fl oz Water, for onion dressing
- 1/4 tsp / about 1.5 g Fine salt, for onion
- 10 g / 0.3 oz Fresh coriander (cilantro), optional
- 60 ml / 2.0 US fl oz Tkemali, to serve, optional
Step-by-step method
- Cut, season and refrigerate
Trim tough silver skin but keep thin seams of fat. Use a tender, well-marbled collar cut. Cut pork into even 3 cm / 1 1/4 in cubes; very large chunks take longer to soften. Toss with the measured meat salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate 1-4 hours. Use a clean board and keep raw pork juices away from the onion garnish. - Prepare the cool garnish
Mix sliced red onion with vinegar, water and onion salt in a separate bowl. Toss and refrigerate while cooking. It should become slightly softened but remain crisp. Add fresh coriander only just before serving, if using. Do not use this bowl for raw meat. - Build two heat zones
Light charcoal outdoors and let the coals become glowing with a light ash coating; avoid tall flames. Bank more coals on one side and leave a cooler area on the other. With a gas grill, heat one side to medium-high and keep the other lower. Clean the grate and keep tongs ready. - Thread stable skewers
Thread pork onto flat metal skewers with the pieces just touching, without packing tightly. Aim for 4-6 cubes per skewer. Keep uncooked skewers refrigerated until the grill is ready. Metal conducts heat and becomes very hot; use insulated gloves and keep handles away from direct fire. - Turn often and control flare-ups
Grill over the hotter zone, turning every 2-3 minutes, for roughly 15-22 minutes. Move skewers to the cooler side whenever dripping fat ignites. Do not char one face while leaving the center cold. Cooking time depends on cube size and the fire; a thermometer decides readiness. - Measure, rest and serve
Probe the center of several pieces from the side, avoiding the skewer: pork must reach at least 63 C / 145 F. Rest at least 3 minutes before sliding onto a clean platter; Cook longer if preferred, but do not use surface color as the safety test. Drain onion lightly and scatter alongside. Serve optional tkemali separately.
Cook’s notes
A shoulder cube should have a little marbling. Very lean loin cooks faster but is less forgiving. Never operate a charcoal grill indoors, and never reuse a raw-meat plate for cooked skewers without washing it.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate promptly in a shallow covered container at 4 C / 40 F or colder; use within 3 days.
Allergens
None of the major allergens as written; check tkemali labels.
Approximate nutrition
Per serving: 617 kcal · Protein 44 g · Carbohydrates 6 g · Fat 45 g.
Approximate per serving of the complete recipe. Brands, substitutions, cooking losses and portion sizes affect the figures.
