Skewered!

I love grilling on skewers! The combos are always intriguing. Add some fresh pineapple to this one if you've got it around--

 Pork and Veggie Skewers
 1 lb pork tenderloin
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 of a large purple onion
1 orange or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup white grape juice
2 tablespoons butter
Cut pork into 1 to 1 1/2 inch chunks. In a glass dish mix together lime juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, cumin, black pepper and chili powder. Submerge pork chunks into marinade, cover and allow to stand at least 30 minutes  in the refrigerator. Heat outdoor grill to medium high. Peel purple onion and cut 2 inch pieces from each layer. Seed bell pepper and cut into 2 inch pieces as well.  Sprinkle veggies with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt then toss to coat. Thread skewers alternating pork, peppers and onions. Reserve marinade. Grill skewers 3 or 4 minutes then turn 180 degrees and grill an additional 3 or 4 minutes or until pork chunks are cooked through. Remove from grill, cover and allow to rest 5 or 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place reserved marinade and grape juice in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 4 minutes or until reduced by about half. Remove from heat and gently whisk in butter. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve sauce along side pork skewers. Serves 4.

Hints: When threading skewers, don't pack them too tightly or the components will not cook evenly. Use metal or soaked bamboo skewers (soak for 30 minutes in water). You can serve the meal on the skewers or you can slide the meat and veggies off onto a serving platter. Be sure to remove the sauce from the heat prior to whisking in the butter or it may separate into an oily top layer. You can substitute another juice for the white grape or use chicken stock or plain water--according to your taste. Salt may or may not need to be added at the end.

Sophie had some friends over for dinner and I made these skewers with a couscous pilaf and a simple fruit salad--we all really enjoyed ourselves. It was a fast but tasty meal and left time to make s'mores!