Spanish Pork Skewers
Pinchos Morunos are skewered kebabs of marinated pork which are served in tapas bars all over Spain. Of course the actual marinade varies from bar to bar but this is the one that we use. You may want to experiment with different quantities and spices.
The size can also vary from being small skewers with 2 or 3 chunks of meat to larger ones with 7 or 8 chunks. This recipe is for the larger variety but again you may want to go for the small ones and get more pinchos out of the same mix.
Pinchos Morunos are ideal for BBQs or tapas evenings.
Ingredients
For 8 large skewers
- 1 kg cubed pork
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons of ground paprika
- 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons of olive oil
- freshly ground black pepper
- pinch of salt
Cooking Method
Grind the cumin and the coriander seeds and put them in a large bowl. Add the garlic, paprika, oregano, black pepper, salt and then mix in the lemon juice and olive oil.
If you did not buy it cubed then cut the pork into small cubes. It is up to you if you want to remove any fat that is on the pork. Spanish people will always tell you that the fat is the tasty part of the meat but not everyone wants to eat it. Put the meat into the bowl with the marinade and make sure that all the cubes are covered with it. Leave the marinaded pork mix in the fridge for at least two hours but preferably overnight.
Once you’re ready to cook place the meat onto skewers. You should get about 8 skewers from this quantity of meat depending on how much meat you put on each one. I use metal skewers but do remember that if you’re using wooden ones you should soak them in water for a while before putting the meat on them. This should stop them from splintering or burning.
You can then cook the skewers over a preheated grill or on the barbeque. Remember to turn them over part way through cooking and spoon the juices over them. Cooking time will depend on the heat of the grill or BBQ and also how big or small you cut the pork. I would estimate about 10 minutes under the grill.
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What else would you recommend to put on it along with the pork? Any vegetables or anything like that or should I just use meat?
Hi Lebron … In a tapas bar there would be nothing but marinated pork.
I lived on the Atlantic, south of Cadiz and Seville in Southern Andalucia for 4 years and EVERYWHERE at tapas bars they were called ‘Pinchitas’ and they had most of the usual spices except there was also dry white wine in the marinade as well as hot peppers, either cut up or powdered (warm or wow) and they were absolutely delicious! Are your Pinchos they same thing without the wine and hot peppers?
Hi Linda – Thanks for your description of those Cadiz ‘pinchitas’. My version is indeed very similar. as with so many Spanish recipes you can play around with the ingredients and there are always lots of regional variations. i’ll have to give your suggestion a try.
All the Best
Gerry