Pinchos Morunos (Spanish Pork Kebabs)
Pinchos Morunos are wonderful little kebabs of spicy pork.
Literally meaning ‘Moorish Skewers’, they’re an easy addition to a tapas spread. Or eat them as a main course with salad plus bread or potatoes.
Quick-cooking pork tenderloin is marinated with garlic, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, dried oregano, cumin, olive oil and red wine vinegar. You can leave it in the marinade from 1 – 24 hours depending on what’s convenient.
Thread onto skewers, cook in a griddle pan, under the grill or on a barbecue and 5 to 8 minutes later you have temptingly charred, juicy pork kebabs.
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MOREISH AND MOORISH
I expect I’m not the first to make the corny joke of moreish/Moorish for the lip-smacking pork kebabs known as Pinchos Morunos.
But they really are moreish and Moorish.
Moreish because, marinated in a spicy mixture that both seasons and tenderises, you get pork irresistibly moist on the inside and delectably charred on the outside.
Moorish because that’s what ‘morunos’ means. The Moors were the North Africans who ruled much of Spain from the early eighth century. After 1492, they (along with the Jewish population) were either expelled or forced to convert to Christianity.
But while the Spanish took on those North African spices, they gave the kebabs their own twist by making them with pork instead of the lamb which would have been used by the Muslim Moors.
Now, in bars across Spain, you’ll find this wonderful tapa of little skewers (pincho literally means ‘spike’) of spicy charred pork.
THE PORK
I think pork tenderloin is the best cut for these kebabs. It’s quick cooking and has little fat.
However, I have used pork loin steaks when they were all I had. But they’re not quite so tender.
Cutting the pork into small pieces, around 2cm square, makes it easier to get the perfect combination of juicy in the middle and nicely charred on the outside.
THE MARINADE
The spicy marinade is made in a couple of minutes. Just whisk together:
- chopped garlic
- smoked paprika
- dried pepper or chilli flakes
- dried oregano
- cumin
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper.
I’m mad on fruity and mild Aleppo pepper flakes so add a good, rounded teaspoonful. You can use regular dried chilli flakes if that’s what you have. Use half a teaspoon in that case, or more for a fiercer heat.
Ideally, you should marinate the pork cubes for a couple of hours and up to 24 hours.
But if an hour is all you have then it’s still worth doing.
You can make big skewers of Pinchos Morunos if you like. However, my preference is for dinky little ones.
I didn’t have any small skewers when I wrote this post, so just cut down some standard wooden skewers.
If you’re also using wooden skewers, don’t forget to soak them for at least 30 minutes so they don’t burn.
COOKING
Besides thinking that small pinchos look cute, I also have a practical reason for making them like this.
I like to cook my pinchos in a griddle pan and six small kebabs, made with 350 grams of pork, fit in just nicely.
If you prefer, cook the kebabs under the grill or on the barbecue.
However you do it, small cubes of pork will only take 5-8 minutes to cook. And you really don’t want these tasty little morsels to become overdone and dry.
SERVING PINCHOS MORUNOS
Crusty and charred, if you’re serving Pinchos Morunos as part of a tapas spread, then all they need is some wedges of lemon for squeezing over.
But I think they’re great as the centre point of a meal too.
For the pinchos you see in this post, you could say we ate them as a meat, potatoes and veg main course, but with a Spanish twist!
The potato element was a tortilla de patatas. I first slowly cooked sliced onion in olive oil then mixed it with par boiled sliced potatoes that had been lightly browned in the oil. Mixed with beaten egg then cooked on both sides, I ended up with a beautiful, golden omelette.
We ate the tortilla in thick wedges but, for a tapa, little chunks on cocktail sticks look good. Leftovers were great the next day, lightly warmed and eaten as I have countless times in Spain, in a big crusty baguette.
One of the dishes I’d almost always order to accompany a tapas meal in Spain was ensalada mixta.
This mixed salad can be as simple or as complicated as you like. To go with the Pinchos Morunos I made a basic one including green olives and, common in Spain, tinned sweetcorn. For a dressing, you just pour over some of the red wine vinegar and olive oil that’s sitting on the table.
However you eat these great little kebabs, full of Moorish spices, I hope you love them as much as I do.
Leave a comment below and don’t forget to rate the recipe!
Pinchos Morunos (Spanish Pork Kebabs)
Literally meaning 'Moorish skewers', these spicy pork tenderloin kebabs are an easy tapas dish. Can also be eaten as a main course with salad plus bread, rice or potatoes.
Ingredients
- 350 g pork tenderloin cut into 2cm dice; visible fat removed
- 1 small lemon cut into wedges
For the marinade
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 rounded tsp smoked paprika
- 1 rounded tsp Aleppo pepper flakes or ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 rounded tsp dried oregano
- 1 rounded tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Instructions
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Stir or whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
Stir in the cubed pork, cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour minimum and up to 24 hours. Stir and turn occasionally to redistribute the marinade.
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If you're going to be using wooden skewers: soak 6 short ones in water for at least 30 minutes before cooking the kebabs to prevent burning.
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Thread the pork cubes onto the skewers and put on a plate. Pour or brush over any remaining marinade.
Heat a griddle pan or your grill to medium-high and brush it with a little olive oil.
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Place the kebabs in the hot pan or under the grill.
Cook, turning often, until the kebabs are browned on the outside and cooked all the way through (5-8 min). Turn the temperature down if browning too quickly.
Can also be cooked on a barbecue.
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Serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze over.
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