These fabulous pork skewers are from the Andalusian region of Spain, and are themselves inspired by the flavours of the African Moorish invaders brought with them centuries ago. A pinchito is a thorn or small skewer, and Moruno is the Spanish word for Moor. Ironically, the Moors would not have been using Spain's beloved pork in this dish.
They can be served simply as tapas with some chilli sauce (the Quinta d'Avo Piri Piri sauces work well here), or combined in a wrap with Greek yoghurt and salad vegetables for a very satisfying informal meal.
Will comfortably feed 6.
You will need:
1 kg Pork fillet, cut into regular 2cm cubes
For the marinade:
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. ground turmeric
1 tbsp. Pimenton (Spanish paprika)
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. Cayenne pepper
Half cup of olive oil
Salt and fresh ground Pepper
4 decent cloves of garlic, crushed
Juice of 2 lemons
Combine all the ingredients in a small pan with the exception of the lemon juice and garlic. Gently heat it for 2/3 minutes to release the flavours of the spices in the oil. Take off the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, before combining with the garlic and lemon juice.
Poor the marinade onto the pork cubes, combine well and leave to stand for at least an hour, but a few hours will give even better results in the fridge.
If using bamboo skewers, soak them for 30 minutes so they don't scorch. Thread the meat onto your skewers. I tend the place the completed ones over an oven dish turned sideways whilst I do the rest, to minimise the mess.
Cook them on a barbecue or under a grill, turning regularly. Timing will depend on the heat of your grill/barbecue, but should take no longer than 10 minutes. Try not to overcook them as pork fillet has a tendency to dry out.
Incidentally, this marinade works equally well with chicken and lamb, but I have stuck with pork for Spanish authenticity.
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