Best 4 Traditional Gyros Recipes
Embark on a culinary journey to the heart of Greek cuisine with our exploration of the traditional gyros, a delectable dish that captures the essence of Greek street food. Discover the secrets behind this timeless recipe, from the perfect blend of spices and herbs to the tender meat slow-cooked to perfection. Learn the art of preparing the traditional tzatziki sauce using fresh yogurt, cucumber, and garlic, the perfect complement to the succulent meat and crisp pita bread.
Let's cook with our recipes!
TRADITIONAL GYRO MEAT
This Greek/Lebanese style meatloaf is sliced and served with pita bread, tzatziki, and tomatoes for a delicious gyro that is the closest I've come to emulating my favorite Mediterranean restaurant. The preparation time seems long, but most of it is resting time, so you can be doing other stuff! You can substitute pork or chicken for the ground lamb and beef if you prefer.
Provided by The Dread Pirate Paramour
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Lamb Ground
Time 2h
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Place the onion in a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Scoop the onions onto the center of a towel, gather up the ends of the towel, and squeeze out the liquid from the onions. Place the onions into a mixing bowl along with the lamb and beef. Season with the garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Mix well with your hands until well combined. Cover, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Place the meat mixture into the food processor, and pulse for about a minute until finely chopped and the mixture feels tacky. Pack the meat mixture into a 7x4 inch loaf pan, making sure there are no air pockets. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place the loaf pan on the towel, inside the roasting pan, and place into the preheated oven. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
- Bake until the gyro meat is no longer pink in the center, and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) on a meat thermometer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour off any accumulated fat, and allow to cool slightly before slicing thinly and serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 179.1 calories, Carbohydrate 1.9 g, Cholesterol 58.7 mg, Fat 11.7 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 15.7 g, SaturatedFat 4.7 g, Sodium 96.7 mg, Sugar 0.5 g
GYROS - AN AUTHENTIC RECIPE FOR MAKING THEM AT HOME
Yes, you can make authentic gyros at home --> the texture and flavor of this meat is as good as you get in a good Greek restaurant, without the traditional rotating spit.. but this is just the recipe and technique for making the meat, for I'm assuming you know the drill on making the classic gyro sandwich - stuff the meat in a grilled pita with sliced tomatoes, onions and tzaziki sauce.. Enjoy!
Provided by steve in FL
Categories < 4 Hours
Time 1h20m
Yield 10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well.
- Knead the mixture on the counter for 10 minutes - just like you're kneading bread. You may want to use a dough-scraper to help keep the counter clean. (I do). Pick that meat up and SLAM it into the counter, continuing to do so for the 10 minutes. This is key to getting the correct texture. I'm no Alton Brown, but I think the thing we're doing here is melting the fat so that we get a nice smooth texture in the end.
- Form into a flat loaf - I like to put the meat onto a piece of wax paper, and flattening it into a 3" high slab rectangle. I cover it with another piece of wax and use a rolling pin to flatten it out, just make sure you straighten out the edges to form a rectangle so that when it comes time to slice, they are nice and even.
- Bake the loaf on a broiler pan (or pan with raised edges, because it will leak grease!) at 350 for about an hour. Alternatively, you can grill it over coals, that's my favorite way, just be sure to turn often so as to distribute the juices.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing thin.
GYROS
Make your own gyros meat to serve on pita bread or over basmati rice with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, tzatziki sauce, and feta.
Provided by Lan Sutton
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Lamb Ground
Time 1h35m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Process red onion in a food processor until finely minced. Scoop onion into a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze as much moisture from the onion as possible. Return onion to food processor; add garlic and process until the garlic is well integrated. Blend marjoram, rosemary, kosher salt, and black pepper into the onion mixture.
- Gradually blend ground beef and ground lamb with the onion and seasoning mixture by alternately adding small amounts of each meat to the mixture and processing until well incorporated before adding the next batch.
- Firmly pack the meat mixture into a loaf pan, assuring no air pockets are trapped in the meat.
- Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 75 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Drain grease and slice thinly to serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 223.8 calories, Carbohydrate 1.3 g, Cholesterol 79.8 mg, Fat 14 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 21.7 g, SaturatedFat 5.7 g, Sodium 537.5 mg, Sugar 0.2 g
TRADITIONAL GYROS
I absolutely love being able to make my own gyros at home! You have to try them!
Provided by BetterCookingForSingleFathers
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek
Time 3h15m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Place onion in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Transfer onion to a piece of cheese cloth and squeeze out the liquid. Place onion in a large bowl.
- Mix lamb, beef, garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, and salt with the onion using your hands until well mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until flavors blend, about 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Place meat mixture in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and tacky, about 1 minute. Pack meat mixture into a 7x4-inch loaf pan, ensuring there are no air pockets. Place loaf pan into a roasting pan and pour enough boiling water around the loaf pan to reach halfway up the sides.
- Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 45 to 60 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Pour off any accumulated fat and cool slightly.
- Thinly slice the gyro meat mixture.
- Spread 1 tablespoon hummus onto each pita bread; top each with gyro meat mixture, lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 424.8 calories, Carbohydrate 42.8 g, Cholesterol 60.6 mg, Fat 40.8 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 22.4 g, SaturatedFat 6.7 g, Sodium 620 mg, Sugar 4.1 g
Tips:
- Choose the right meat: Traditional gyros are made with lamb, but you can also use beef, chicken, or pork. If you're using lamb, look for a shoulder or leg roast that has a good amount of marbling.
- Marinate the meat: Marinating the meat helps to tenderize it and add flavor. There are many different marinade recipes available, but a simple one made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs is a good place to start.
- Cook the meat slowly: Gyros are traditionally cooked on a vertical rotisserie, but you can also cook them in the oven or on a grill. The key is to cook the meat slowly so that it has a chance to become tender and flavorful.
- Slice the meat thinly: Once the meat is cooked, it should be sliced thinly against the grain. This will help to make the meat more tender and easier to eat.
- Serve the gyros with your favorite toppings: Traditional gyros are served with tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, onions, and pita bread. You can also add other toppings, such as lettuce, french fries, or feta cheese.
Conclusion:
Gyros are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They're perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or for a special occasion. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make gyros at home that are just as good as the ones you get at your favorite Greek restaurant. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting meal to try, give gyros a try. You won't be disappointed!
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