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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Khorovats with grilled vegetables and lavash

Khorovats are Armenian style marinated pork skewers, served with grilled eggplant, peppers and tomatoes plus pita bread. This recipe serves 4, takes 1h30 including 2 hours of marinating, is rated easy and costs about €2.90 per person. The key to success is the grated onion marinade, which tenderizes the meat without ever using lemon.

Tonight we're having an Armenian barbecue with khorovats, pork skewers marinated with onion, served with grilled eggplant, peppers and tomatoes.

Khorovats with grilled vegetables and lavash
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.90
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

Khorovats is the classic Armenian barbecue, cubes of pork shoulder marinated then grilled until juicy and fragrant with paprika and ground coriander. Alongside, vegetables charred right over the flame pick up a smoky flavor that oven roasting never quite matches, and pita bread is there to scoop everything up. Mon Chou designed this version so you can make it on an outdoor grill in summer or under the oven broiler any time of year.

This is a great recipe for a summer dinner with friends or a weekend family meal, kids love pulling pieces of meat off the skewers and dipping bread into the vegetable juices. Plan ahead a bit for the marinating time, everything else comes together in under an hour, from threading the skewers to grilling.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Pork shoulder 800 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 3
  • Eggplants 2
  • Peppers 2
  • Tomatoes 4

Pantry

  • Ground corianderoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Bakery

  • Pita breads 4

Allergens Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the pork into large cubes and coat it with grated onion, spices, oil, salt and pepper. Let it marinate. 2 h

    Keep the marinade cold, the longer the meat sits in it, the more tender it gets.

  2. Thread the meat onto skewers, alternating with onion wedges.

    Pack the pieces close together, they stay juicier.

  3. Grill the skewers on a barbecue or under the broiler, turning them as they cook. 20 min

    The pork is done when the juices run clear.

  4. Grill the eggplants, peppers and tomatoes whole until the skin blackens. 20 min

    Put the hot peppers in a closed bag, they'll peel themselves.

  5. Peel the vegetables, cut them into strips, season and serve with the skewers and bread.

    A drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt on the vegetables is all you need.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick pork shoulder rather than a lean cut, the fat renders during cooking and keeps the meat moist.
  • If you're broiling indoors, use the broil setting and leave the oven door slightly open so the meat sears instead of steaming in its own juice.
  • Use metal skewers or soak wooden ones in water for thirty minutes so they don't burn on the grill.

The variations

  • Swap the pork shoulder for chicken or lamb cut into cubes, the marinating time stays the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, thread cubes of zucchini, mushroom and pepper onto the skewers marinated in the same onion mixture.
  • To go faster with hungry kids, cut the meat into smaller pieces, it cooks in ten minutes instead of twenty.

What to serve it with

  • Warm pita or lavash bread
  • Plain yogurt or garlic sauce
  • Cucumber and tomato salad

Storage

Grilled meat and vegetables keep for 2 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can freeze the raw marinated meat for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a skillet so the meat doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different meat instead of pork shoulder?

Yes, chicken or lamb cut into cubes work very well with the same marinade. Keep the same marinating time, grated onion tenderizes these meats the same way.

Why should you never add lemon to the marinade?

Lemon's acid toughens the meat fibers during long grilling. Grated onion tenderizes without that effect, which is the secret behind this Armenian marinade.

Can you prep the skewers ahead of time?

Yes, you can thread the marinated meat onto skewers the night before and keep them in the refrigerator. Take them out fifteen minutes before grilling so they're not too cold.

How do you know when the grilled vegetables are ready?

The skin of the eggplant, peppers and tomatoes should blacken and blister on all sides. The flesh inside then turns soft and easy to peel.

How long does it take to make khorovats with grilled vegetables and lavash?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in khorovats with grilled vegetables and lavash?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does khorovats with grilled vegetables and lavash cost?

About €2.90 per serving, or €11.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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