Greek Gyros
A gyro [GEE-row], literally 'turn,' is a Greek dish of meat roasted on a vertical spit and usually served in a pita bread with tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce.
To make gyros, pieces of meat are placed on a tall vertical spit, which turns in front of a source of heat, usually an electric broiler. The outside of the meat is sliced vertically in thin, crisp shavings when done. It is generally served in an oiled, lightly grilled piece of pita, rolled up with various salads and sauces.
While this delicious method for preparing meat is often used in Greek restaurants, it's not easy to accomplish at home. One way to mimic this recipe in a home kitchen is to cut the meat into thin slices, thread the slices onto skewers, and either cook on an outdoor grill or broil them in the oven. Some recipes have you flavor ground beef or lamb, form into oblong patties and either grill or broil them.
Greek Gyros
Recipe By : L. Darnalinados
2 lb lamb -- sliced THINLY
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c lemon juice -- fresh
3 cloves garlic -- peeled and chopped
1 tbsp thyme -- fresh
1 tbsp oregano -- fresh
fresh ground pepper
pita bread
lettuce
tomato
sweet onion
feta cheese
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, thyme, oregano and pepper in bowl. Place lamb strips in the marinade and coat well. Cover and chill (4 to 6 hours or overnight) turning several times. Meat can be grilled or baked in the oven on a rack (strips can be threaded for skewers).
To make the gyro, place meat, lettuce, diced or thinly sliced tomato, thinly sliced onion, and crumbled feta cheese in middle of pita bread. Top with tzatziki (yogurt & cucumber sauce) and fold or wrap pita around meat & vegetables.
Serving Size : 6
NOTES : Lamb meat should be from the leg or shoulder and sliced as thin of strips as possible. You can also substitute beef for the lamb.
Gyro Sandwiches
Gyros is most often eaten in pita bread with tomatoes, onions, Tzatziki sauce and french fries.
1 1/4 lb Lean ground beef
1 1/4 lb Lean ground lamb
1/4 c Oregano
1 1/2 tb Onion powder
1 tb Garlic powder
3/4 tb Ground pepper (or more)
1 t Thyme
3/4 ts Salt
8 lg Pita breads -- cut in half
Thinly sliced onion rings
For patties: Preheat broiler or prepare barbeque. Combine ingredients lightly but thoroughly in large bowl. Shape into 16 thin patties [The patty is shaped like a sausage (long and thin), then flattened. This is to ensure the patty fits into the flatbread.] and broil, turning once, until done as desired.
[For best results, let the uncooked meat mixture marinate for an hour before grilling or pan-frying. The flavors marry for a better-tasting sandwich.]
To assemble sandwich, place 1 meat patty in each pita half and top with yogurt sauce (tzatziki) and onion slices.
Serving Size : 16
Greek Gyro
FMM: Try making this with sirloin beef, cut into thin strips to thread onto skewers. Or make ground beef patties as in the recipe on the left. Gyro in Philadelphia are usually topped with Tzatziki Sauce.
2 lb Lean, boneless lamb*- cut in 1" cubes [or in THIN strips to thread on skewers]
1/3 c Olive oil
1/2 c Fresh lemon juice
2 Garlic cloves- peeled, cut in quarters
1 ts Chopped fresh thyme
1 ts Chopped fresh oregano or
1 ts Chopped fresh marjoram
Fresh ground pepper to taste
*Use meat cut from the leg or shoulder.
2 Spanish onions; cut in thinly sliced rings
24 sm Romaine lettuce leaves- washed and dried
6 lg Pita bread rounds
3 md Ripe tomatoes
Garlic Yogurt Sauce (or Tzatziki Sauce)
2 c Plain yogurt
1 Garlic clove - peeled and minced
1 ts Chopped fresh oregano or
1 ts Chopped fresh marjoram
1 tb Fresh lemon juice
1 ts Olive oil
Salt and pepper; to taste
The morning before an afternoon barbecue, make marinade by combining oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, herbs and pepper in a medium bowl. Remove about 1/4 cup to mix with the onions. Place lamb cubes in bowl with remaining marinade; toss to coat well.
Place onions in small bowl and toss with reserved marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and chill, up to several hours, turning several times.
Meanwhile, make yogurt sauce (or Tzatziki Sauce) by lining a medium bowl with cheesecloth and spooning in the yogurt. Tie up edges of cheesecloth with string to form a pouch. Suspend over bowl (tying from refrigerator rack above bowl), or place in a colander over bowl and let stand to drain several hours. Moisture will drip from the yogurt, giving it a thicker consistency. Mix drained yogurt with minced garlic, chopped herbs, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Makes about 1 cup.
Stack pita bread rounds into 2 piles and wrap each in foil, dull side out.
To barbecue, heat coals or gas barbecue. Remove meat from marinade, reserving some marinade for basting. (Discard any large garlic pieces.) Thread lamb onto greased skewers and grill over greased grill about 4" from hot coals. Cook, turning and basting often, about 10 minutes or until lamb is brown on the outside, still pink inside. Warm pita rounds over barbecue.
Before serving, lift the onions from the marinade with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl. Cut whole tomatoes into thin wedges and place on plate. Place lettuce leaves on plate. Set out yogurt sauce (or Tzatziki Sauce) and lots of napkins to facilitate handling of gyros.
To serve, cut each warmed pita bread in half and separate to form 2 pockets. Each person fills a warmed pita picket with some of the grilled lamb cubes, lettuce, tomatoes and onions, topping with a spoonful of Garlic Yogurt Sauce. Tzatziki Sauce could also be used.
Yield: 12 gyros, 2 per person. (6 servings)
From Nancy Enright's Canadian Herb Cookbook
