Blackened Pork Fillet Kebabs Recipe
By Jeff Grier

Pork fillet kebabs recipe by Jeff Grier paired with Villiera Traditional Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc or Domaine Grier Grenache. 

©Mike Carelse
Blackened Pork Fillet Kebabs by Jeff Grier.

Ingredients

4 small pork fillets 
salt and freshly ground black pepper 
5 ml fennel seeds 
2 whole cloves 
15 ml paprika 
a small bunch of fresh thyme, finely chopped 
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
150 ml tomato sauce 
90 ml balsamic vinegar
juice and zest of 1 orange 
a handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped, for garnishing 

Recipe

Serves 4

Season the pork fillets with salt and pepper. Mix the rest of the ingredients (except the coriander leaves) into a marinade sauce. Toss the fillets in the marinade then leave the mixture in the fridge for half a day. 

Place the fillets side by side and insert four metal skewers across the fillets. Braai over hot coals. regularly brushing on the leftover marinade to build up a sticky, slightly blackened glaze. When done, slice the fillets between the skewers to create four generously proportioned kebabs. 

Serve with a sprinkling of chopped coriander leaves (a squeeze of lemon juice is optional). This works well with oven-baked aubergine, tomato, onion, garlic, origanum, basil and mozzarella, and fresh ciabatta. 

To make the vegetable bake accompaniment, lightly sauté 1 chopped onion in some olive oil. Add 2 cloves of crushed garlic, 5 ml finely chopped fresh origanum, and 1 tin chopped and peeled tomatoes, and simmer gently until thick. Pan-fry thinly sliced aubergine in olive oil. Then layer in a small casserole dish, starting with the aubergine slices, mozzarella slices, fresh basil leaves, spoonfuls of the tomato mixture, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Bake at 180°C for about 40 minutes. 

Wine Pairing

Villiera Traditional Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc or Domaine Grier Grenache 

Wine Notes

'The pork is not as rich as red meat, so works with white. I pick these Chenin grapes super ripe, plus get a hint of honey and extra richness from some botrytised berries on top of the tropical fruit flavours. The barrel treatment picks up the smokiness of the firewood and the wine's hint of honey goes well with the blackened sauce. As for the Grenache: us berry, cherry fruit, and spiciness go well with the tomato-sauce component of the blackened pork.' 

By Wendy Toerien