Greek Gyro
This is just like the Gyros my husband and I have had at the restaurant down the street from our house called The Fat Greek SOOOOO YUMMY!!!!
This is just like the Gyros my husband and I have had at the restaurant down the street from our house called The Fat Greek SOOOOO YUMMY!!!!
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 24 small romaine lettuce leaves
- 6 large pita bread rounds
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon plain yogurt
- 1 large cucumber minced
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
- 2 pounds lamb boneless lean cut into 1 inch slices
- 2 cloves garlic peeled cut into quarters
- 2 spanich onions cut into thin rings
- Carbohydrate 22.7105480592933 g
- Cholesterol 160.277760418207 mg
- Fat 24.3687672741035 g
- Fiber 1.37087502875185 g
- Protein 15.5955261993496 g
- Saturated Fat 9.91168306961834 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (211g)
- Sodium 234.830371545962 mg
- Sugar 21.3396730305414 g
- Trans Fat 2.22447180555985 g
- Calories 372 calories
Step-by-step
- 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 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, minced cucumber, 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 inches 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 and place lettuce leaves on plate.
- Set out "cucumber" 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 pocket with some of the grilled lamb cubes, lettuce, tomatoes and onions, topping with a spoonful of "cucumber" sauce.
- Yield: 12 gyros, 2 per person.
While a classic doner kebab relies on vertical spits rotating against a radiant heat source, making street-style meat at home requires a different approach entirely. Skewering bite-sized cuts of lean lamb allows the heat of a gas or charcoal grill to penetrate the protein rapidly, yielding an exterior crust caramelized by olive oil and lemon juice while keeping the interior juicy. Because lean cuts dry out quickly under intense BTUs, marinating the meat for several hours tenderizes the muscle fibers through acid breakdown before the skewers ever touch the grates.
Achieving proper texture in the accompanying cucumber sauce demands patience, specifically regarding the overnight draining of plain yogurt through cheesecloth to eliminate excess whey. Skipping this crucial moisture-reduction step results in a watery condiment that makes the toasted pita soggy upon assembly. Although fresh herbs like thyme and oregano deliver the most vibrant aromatics, dried equivalents can be substituted at a one-to-three ratio if fresh leaves are unavailable.
Leftover grilled lamb can be frozen for up to two months when sealed tightly in vacuum bags, though fresh assembly yields the best crisp-tender contrast against the raw romaine and sliced tomatoes.
