Pinchos Morunos (Spiced Pork Skewers) & Potatoes

📝 Ingredients

• 600 g boneless pork neck, visible fat removed
• 800 g potatoes (about 6 medium)
• 3 tbsp olive oil (1 for the marinade, 1 for the potatoes, 1 for the salad)
• 1 lemon (½ juiced for the marinade, ½ cut into wedges for serving)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp ground cumin + 2 tsp sweet paprika + 1 tsp ground coriander + 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 romaine lettuce hearts (about 150 g each)
• 2 tomatoes (about 120 g each)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Griddle pan or large frying pan
• Baking tray
• Baking paper
• 8 skewers
• Mixing bowl
• Paring knife

📖 Steps

1. Cut the pork neck into 3 cm cubes, trimming off any large pieces of white fat with a small knife. Peel the garlic and chop it very finely. If the skewers are wooden, soak them in cold water for 30 min so they don't burn during cooking.
2. In a bowl, mix 1 tbsp oil, the juice of the half lemon, the garlic, cumin, paprika, coriander, thyme, 1 tsp salt and some pepper. Add the meat, massage it to coat it well in the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min, ideally overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 210 °C. Wash the potatoes without peeling them and cut them into wedges. Toss them directly on the baking tray lined with baking paper with 1 tbsp oil, salt and pepper, then spread them out in a single layer.
4. Roast the potatoes for 35 to 40 min, turning them halfway through, until golden, crispy at the edges and tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
5. Meanwhile, thread 5 to 6 cubes of meat onto each skewer to make 8 skewers, letting them touch without packing them tightly: the heat circulates better and they cook more evenly.
6. Wash the romaine hearts and cut them into strips; cut the tomatoes into wedges. In a serving bowl, whisk 1 tbsp oil, the vinegar, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Only add the vegetables just before serving so they stay crunchy.
7. Heat the griddle pan for 3 min over a high heat, then reduce to medium-high. Lay the skewers in the pan and leave untouched for 3 min, then give them a quarter turn every 2 to 3 min, 10 to 12 min in total, until golden and the juices run clear. If the pan is small, cook in two batches.
8. Leave the skewers to rest for 2 min off the heat, keeping them warm in the oven if you cooked them in two batches. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve the skewers with the roast potatoes, the salad and the lemon wedges to squeeze over at the last minute.