Pork Skewers with Couscous Salad

Author Nik Sharma encourages you to roll out the grill for one final victory lap at the end of grilling season to make these pork skewers. Turmeric in the meat marinade and the couscous salad make this a uniquely-flavored cookout recipe.

pork skewers with couscous salad
Photo: Carson Downing
Hands On Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
4
Yield:
8 skewers plus 4 1/2 cups salad

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork tenderloin, fat trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 1 shallot, peeled and chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

  • ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)

  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock

  • 4 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 cup couscous

  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoon cashews

  • ¼ cup dried tart cherries

  • 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and julienned

  • 1 cup packed arugula leaves

  • ½ cup crumbled feta

  • Lime wedges

Directions

  1. Place pork in a bowl. In a small food processor pulse shallot, garlic, 2 Tbsp. of the lime juice, the garam masala, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; pour over pork. Toss to coat. Chill, covered, 1 hour.

  2. Thread pork onto eight bamboo or metal skewers. Grill on rack of a covered grill directly over medium coals 4 to 6 minutes or until meat is still slightly pink in center, turning once.

  3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan bring stock to a rolling boil with remaining salt and 1 tsp. olive oil. Once stock starts to boil, stir in couscous; remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 8 to 10 minutes or until couscous is tender. Fluff with a fork.

  4. In a medium saucepan heat 2 tsp. olive oil over medium-high. Add sliced shallots; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until light brown. Add cashews, cherries, ginger, and remaining turmeric. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more or until cashews are golden brown and slightly seared.

  5. In a large mixing bowl combined cooked couscous with shallot mixture. Fold in arugula and feta. Add remaining lime juice. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a platter. Top with pork skewers. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

503 Calories
17g Fat
53g Carbs
34g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 503
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 90mg 30%
Sodium 1060mg 46%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 10.4mg 52%
Calcium 142mg 11%
Iron 2.9mg 16%
Potassium 680mg 14%
Folate, total 32mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.8mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.8mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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