Souvlaki Steak with Lemon Chive Tzatziki

Souvlaki Steak

I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Everyone in our family loves chicken or pork souvlaki and I love it with lamb too. It is a meal that is in regular rotation at our house especially with homemade flatbreads and lemon mint tzatziki. We usually serve a Greek salad with it so that it can all be tucked inside those flatbreads as delicious wraps.

I used the same marinade on a couple of prime rib steaks yesterday and grilled them to medium well before thinly slicing them and adding them to some very satisfying wraps. I substituted fresh chives for the mint in the tzatziki this time but fresh oregano, thyme or rosemary could also be used if you prefer.

The marinade was actually quite tasty on the steak all on its own, so, even if you don't want to make flatbreads or tzatziki for this dish, the marinade is still worth trying at your next back yard barbecue.

Serves 4 to 6

2 pounds grilling steak, prime rib or strip loin are good choices

Souvlaki Marinade

• 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 rounded tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves minced garlic

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour over the steak in a Ziploc bag. Toss the steak around well in the marinade to coat on all sides. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Cook on a preheated grill at medium high heat for about 4 minutes before turning over and grilling for an additional 4 minutes on the opposite side or until the steak is cooked to your desired doneness.

Serve with a Greek Salad, flatbread and tzatziki.
 

Lemon Chive Tzatziki

• 3 cups Greek yogurt, drained.

Draining the yogurt removes much of the liquid and produces an end product about the consistency of thick sour cream. To drain the yogurt, line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth (or in a pinch, several large coffee filters) Pour the yogurt into the colander and place it in a large bowl or in the sink for an hour or two. this should produce about 2 cups of thick yogurt.

• 6 inch piece of English cucumber

Peel the piece of cucumber and remove the seeds and pulp at the center with a teaspoon, then dice the outside flesh of the cucumber into small cubes of  1/8 inch or less.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of kosher salt over the diced cucumber and toss together well. Let this rest for about a half hour , stirring occasionally. This process removes some of the liquid from the cucumber so that it will not water down the consistency of your finished tzatziki. Drain all of the liquid off the diced cucumber before adding it to the drained yogurt along with

• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt and pepper to season

Mix well, cover and store in the fridge for at least a half hour before serving.