gyro_tzatziki-in-background450.jpg

I have been getting very inspired by blogs recently. Maybe it is because I sit down to check my daily bloggings while sipping that first cup of coffee before I eat anything – so I am half starved. But in any case, bad habits aside, I have been going crazy copying recipes from blogs that I visit through my daily interactions with The Foodie Blogroll. There is just so much good food out there and being exposed to it on a daily basis is a dream for someone as food obsessed as me.

tzatziki_final.jpg

To me there is nothing better than a Gyro – spiced meat in a warm pita slathered with garlicky Tzatziki, put an order of fries on the side and I am in a state of bliss. So the other day when I came across this, on Bitsy’s blog, A Matter of Taste, I was intrigued. I mean normally I only get Gyros out – and you watch them slice the meat off a huge cylinder of meat on a spit. For me, foodie though I may be, it never really occurred to me to think how this giant cylinder of meat might come to be. I mean there are no cuts of meat this shape and size, so what’s the deal? So when I learned I could make it at home, no spit required I decided to take up the challenge.

So here we go…

Here is your music of the day:


Gyro Meat

slicing_gyro_meat.jpg

INGREDIENTS:

½ lb ground lamb
½ lb ground beef
(if you cannot find either of these pre-ground you can do so in your food processor)
½ cup very finely chopped Spanish onion
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
¾ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon dried ground oregano
½ teaspoon dried ground rosemary
¼ teaspoon black pepper

METHOD:

Mix everything together and let sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours so the flavors can meld.

gyro_meat_second_processing.jpg

Blend all ingredients in a food processor for about 1 minute. It will turn into a meat paste.
(According to Bitsy, when cooked, this will help give it a more traditional gyro feel. Otherwise, it just takes like cooked minced meat.)

(in the meantime make tzatziki)

Preheat oven to 325F
Place meat paste into a baking pan. Bake in the oven in a loaf pan for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
It should be a bit dry when it is finished. Slice very thin and serve on pita bread with chopped onion, tomatoes, Tzatziki and feta cheese with some fries on the side.

Tzatziki

tzatziki_ingredients.jpg

INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces Greek yogurt
1 medium English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded (use your food processor for this too)
pinch of sea salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely chopped
1 TBS fresh dill, finely chopped


METHOD:

scraping_seeds_out_of_cucumber.jpg

To seed your cucumber, cut it open lengthwise, and using a teaspoon, scrape the seeds out. Place the shredded cucumber in a paper towel and squeeze hard repeatedly into the sink to remove the liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine with the cucumber, the Greek yogurt, salt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, mint and dill. Place in refrigerator to blend flavors for at least two hours before serving. (This resting time is very important.) Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
Yield: 2 cups

gyro_closeup.jpg

It was very enjoyable, but not exactly like the Gyros I am used to getting – likely because I was lacking a spit and coals. But it was great for teaching me something new and fulfilling our Gyro cravings! 🙂

Stay tuned to see what I did with the leftover Gyro Meat…because of course there are always leftovers in this house!